Meredith’s trees in full bloom

I THINK that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree, written by Joyce Kilmer in 1913, might sum up the photographs entered in the Significant Trees of Meredith exhibition.

In a bid by the Meredith History Interest Group to learn more about noteworthy trees in the district, residents were encouraged to submit a picture and a story.

Margaret Cooper, President of the group said they were overwhelmed with the response.

“We’ve received around 160 entries covering trees of historical interest, commemorative trees and others relevant to special people and places,” she said. “There was a tree planted on the She Oaks Steiglitz Road to celebrate John Richards going off to the Front in WWI.

“It is the subject of Jenny Talbot’s entry along with a copy of a letter written by John hoping to come home to see the tree, unfortunately he didn’t make it.”

Barb Baird sent a photo of what she refers to as her thinking tree which is hundreds of years old with a circumference of six metres and is protected in perpetuity by a Trust for Nature covenant.

“I sit on the tree to rest, feet up, looking over the empty valley which has been destroyed by grazing and clearing, planning the restoration and regeneration of the land,” Ms Baird said.

A eucalyptus ficifolia was planted by Don Atherton to celebrate the birth of his first grandchild.

His photo of the tree in spectacular bloom was taken on his granddaughter’s 16th birthday.

Ms Cooper said the group was loathed to let all the images of the significant trees be filed away at the close of the exhibition.

“I think they would make a magnificent coffee table book,” she said. “Now we have to work out how to get the money to make the idea come true.”