The conservation area was established as a sanctuary where Cape Barren Geese could graze peacefully. (Cape Barren Geese are not popular with farmers as they eat grass and foul waterholes needed for livestock.) In the late 1070s an abandoned farm was purchased and after the usual request for donations, a lot of scrounging of materials and many hours of voluntary work Patriarch Wildlife Sanctuary was opened in 1980 and is now a have for a diversity of wildlife. In part it's the diversity of vegetation- the pasture, the heath, woodland and even a wetland area that makes this sanctuary a safe haven for wildlife. My friend Helen is not part of the wildlife but helps to demonstrate the lushness of the grasses.