By Tanya Steele
One of Edna Walling’s heritage tree plantings continues to delight the hearts of Victorians as the National Trust “Tree of the Year” award was announced on 9 October.
The Dunn’s white tree in Mooroolbark has been nominated amongst several other trees of note, staking its claim as a beautiful specimen from Bickleigh Vale village – which remains one of Walling’s crown achievements as a horticulturalist.
Environmental heritage advocate Jelena Ljubisic who coordinates the significant tree register and the significant tree committee at the National Trust in Victoria said the competition helps to celebrate the joy and benefits trees bring to the community.
“Victoria might decide that a tree out in the Dandenong Ranges or the Yarra Valley is their favourite,” she said.
The Dunn’s White Gum is a large white trunked tree and has been listed for its aesthetic and rarity reasons at a state level.
The gum is the only known specimen of the species in Victoria and is within an area owned and planted by Edna Walling.
The tree at Bickleigh Vale in the road reserve adjacent to ‘Sonning’ was built by the famous horticulturalist in 1921 and then rebuilt in 1936 following a fire – it is not open to the public.
Trees nominated for the award often have a dramatic history or a majestic canopy – they don’t have to be the biggest or the oldest of their kind, just a tree that is loved by those around them.
Anyone can nominate a tree to be on the significant tree register – Ms Ljubisic said that the criteria usually fall under four different categories – scientific, historical, aesthetic and social significance.
“For example with the scientific category – the most common criteria is outstanding size, particularly if it is a large tree for its species,” she said.
Exploring the National Trust’s database is quite interesting and Ms Ljubisic said you can look at trees from all over Victoria – some have quite detailed descriptions and history.
“The other important thing for that criteria is the context of the environment that tree grows in – so for example trees of the same species,” she said.
Shortlisted trees were selected by the National Trust’s significant trees committee from public nominations and the 2023 shortlist includes pines in Port Fairy, Eucha and Blackwood, Moreton Bay figs in Altona and Portarlington, gums in Toorak and Guildford and a London plane tree in Kyabram.
Voting for the tree to be crowned the 2023 winner will be held by an online poll, and will open to the public on Monday 16 October 2023 until midnight Sunday 29 October.
The winner for this year’s “Victorian Tree of the Year” will be announced on Tuesday 31 October.
