Trees ain’t trees

Where did the idea get about that our trees all ‘look the same’?

The problem has been around for a long time: in 1770 Captain Cook wrote about the NSW coast: ‘the woods do not produce any variety of trees.’ In 1836 Darwin claimed that ‘the extreme uniformity of the vegetation’ was ‘the most remarkable feature of the vegetation’ he observed in Australia. And in 1939 the poet AD Hope talked of the ‘drab green and desolate grey’ of our vegetation. And he compounded the insult by suggesting that the Australian people were just as monotonous…

Maybe these very worthy experts weren’t looking hard enough?

Our new exhibition of photos in Castlemaine is set to have a go at overturning the still widespread notion that our trees are monotonously uniform. Trees of the Mount Alexander Region mounted by the Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests will run at Togs Place café from 26 February till 31 March 2016. The exhibition aims to highlight the amazing variety to be seen in our local indigenous trees: even those of the same genus—for example, eucalypts—can exhibit a wild variety of shape and colour, as well as hosting an extraordinary diversity of wildlife.

web Y 12 x 16 inch Nankeen Kestrel

One of the exhibition photos by Patrick Kavanagh (Nankeen Kestrel, Moolort Plains). Tree hollows are vital for the survival of much of our wildlife, so even dead trees can be important features of the land. This photo shows one of three fledglings raised in this hollow on the Moolort Plains. The other two have just ventured from the nest. This one seems to be stretching in preparation for the big step out.

The exhibition photos have been selected from over 125 photos that were submitted to FOBIF during December and January after a ‘call for photos’ was posted on our website. In June the exhibition will have a second showing at the new arts venue, the Newstead Railway Arts Hub. At this exhibition at least one photo from each contributor will be included in a continuous slideshow.

Photos will be for sale with proceeds going to FOBIF to cover costs.

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1 Response to Trees ain’t trees

  1. Naomi Raftery says:

    What an awesome photo! Looking forward to viewing the whole show at Togs!

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