The City of Sydney has asked for comments on its Register of Significant Trees. If you have any comments about trees on the Register or suggestions for additions, please send them to the Blue Wren Subcommittee by Monday 7 April so that they can be included in the Society’s submission to the City.
I received an email from David Lawrence with his nomination for a group of significant trees within the Sydney LGA:
A nomination for significant trees
By David Lawrence
I would like to nominate the large fig trees in Annandale Bicentennial Park, as they are a constant reminder of the battle for the park on the Annandale side of Johnstons Creek.
In the 1980s, the state government wanted to move all of the infrastructure from Goat Island onto the Annandale side as a trade-off for the land on the Glebe side to create the Bicentennial Park there. This action led to the community fighting back, forming the ‘Save Rozelle Bay Association’ whose campaign was waged for several years. Because of the backlash, the government was forced to withdraw the plan.
However, two attempts were then made to create a marina at the end of Rozelle Bay with the land on the Annandale side as a car park and a very small park. Leichhardt Council supported this and the battle continued until the government finally relented and handed the land over to Council’s care and control.
The Council financially at the time wasn’t in a position to fund the work required to create the park. However, a private company helped clear the site, cap it and lay the turf. The community encouraged the council to establish a nursery, ‘Rozelle Bay Community Native Nursery’, which is still functioning, to propagate and plant native species, all done by volunteers.
The fig trees
They, together with some other trees, were funded by Annandale residents and businesses to the tune of $7,000. Significantly, they are planted on what was the 1940s shoreline. As well, Council’s public art program led to the Time Rings around the trees, created by Jennifer Turpin and Michaelie Crawford of Turpin Crawford Studio. Each stone has the birth date of young Annandale residents of the 1990s. As the trees grew, the expanded root systems moved the stones.
I believe the trees should be included on Council’s list of significant trees in a historical context as well as a reminder of the importance of community action required to improve environmental outcomes in the inner city areas.
The trees at Bicentennial Park (Annandale side) that David Lawrence suggests the Glebe Society nominate for the Significant Trees Register (Photo: David Lawrence
The plaque explaining the ‘Time Rings’ Artwork (Photo: V. Simpson-Young)
Forest Lodge’s significant tree
By Virginia Simpson-Young
How many trees in Forest Lodge are in the City of Sydney Significant Tree Register? One. Yes, one. How many in Glebe? Twenty-one (21)! This is a plea to my fellow Forest Lodgers to embrace the ambitious plan to at least double the number of Forest Lodge significant trees. While having two Forest Lodge trees on the Significant Tree Register is a modest contribution (compared to Glebe’s 21), it’s a start.
Let me tell you about our significant tree. Technically, the tree lives at 63 Hereford Street Forest Lodge but is usually (always) seen hanging out by (really, hanging over) Minogue Crescent. He or she is a Port Jackson Fig.
From the entry in the City of Sydney’s Significant Tree Register. The photo appears to have been taken in 2012, and the Registry entry updated in 2014.
The tree in 2024. The registry is updated every 10 years. (Photo: V. Simpson-Young)
According to its Register entry, the tree would have been planted in the late 1800s. That would make it around 140 years old today. Respect! Our Forest Lodge Figgy friend is described as ‘an excellent form and example of this [i.e. Port Jackson Fig] lithophytic species. It is located at the top ledge of a sandstone cutting and substantially overhangs Minogue Crescent … Given its position, it is potentially a self-sown specimen which has clung to the sandstone escarpment formed following road construction in the area’.
From a 1943 aerial photograph with 63 Hereford Street’s property boundaries highlighted (Source: Sixmaps)
The entry notes that the tree is visible in a 1943 aerial photo, which proves it is at least 85-odd years old. In the image (right), the arrow points to the tree, which can be seen at the bottom of 63 Hereford Street’s backyard (in yellow).
I do not intend to disrespect our venerable arborous elder, but … is this the best we can do? Fellow Flodgers – let’s give those privileged Glebites – with their 21 listed trees – a run for their money. Go out this weekend and find a tree in Forest Lodge to nominate. It can be on public or private land. You don’t need to know all the details about the tree; you might just have a hunch that it’s special in some way. Or you might just really like it. Experts will assess it, so it doesn’t matter if you inadvertently nominate a dud (hint: don’t nominate a Celtis!).
The criteria for acceptance and nomination process (which is very simple) are laid out on the consultation page on the City’s website. Broadly, ‘significant trees meet one or more of the formal classification criteria for historical, cultural, social, ecological, commemorative or outstanding visual significance. They can be located on streets, parks and private property.’
While, of course, you can nominate a tree as an individual, Andrew has offered to collate the nominations for Glebe Society members; email him at bluewrens@glebesociety.org.au. Hopefully, Andrew knows a Celtis when he sees one …
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