Treasuring the trees of Nillumbik

Published on 13 December 2024

Nillumbik Shire’s David Keep, Coordinator of Parks and Open Space loves being out in nature. With 36 years under his belt as an arborist, David enjoys the work he does in looking after the very thing so many of us value the most about living in Nillumbik – trees.

With a very large population of trees on public land in Nillumbik, being an arborist is no mean feat. But it’s a role that David finds extremely rewarding.

In particular, it’s the work David does in looking after historical/heritage trees that he loves the most.

“It’s a rewarding job to be able to look after these trees and understand their significance to the region,” David said.

“Take for example the lone pine tree that was planted in the centre of Hurstbridge recently; it was donated by a dedicated member of the Hurstbridge RSL, and planted in the centre of Anzac Park on 25 April 2023.

“The tree, with its deep historical connection to the ANZACs and their enduring legacy, serves as a living memorial to those who served.”

The planting was a heartfelt community effort led by David, who was joined by two local children, symbolising the passing of remembrance to future generations. This special tree stands as a tribute to resilience and sacrifice, echoing the story of the original Lone Pine on the Gallipoli Peninsula, a symbol of hope and remembrance for all who visit.

Along with the highs of David’s job come the lows, where damage or disease of a tree can cause safety issues, which in some instances can result in the need to significantly prune, or in some case, remove completely. 

“When this occurs, we try our best to look at ways we can preserve the tree in some form, whether that be to preserve habitat for animals already living in that tree, or to revegetate an area where a tree has had to be removed so as to ensure we can continue providing biodiversity and tree canopy,” David said.

Perhaps one of the most disappointing parts of David’s role is the damage to trees caused by vandalism.

“I just can’t comprehend why someone would go to such lengths to damage our trees,” he said.

David refers to a more recent example – the Bushranger’s Tree, sometimes known as ‘Burke’s Tree’ in Hurstbridge. 

While steeped in dark history, the tree is highly valued in the local community for its heritage – so much so that a local community playgroup recently performed a play about it. 

It was named after bushranger Robert Burke, who was held, chained to a dray wheel, after the death of local man Henry Hurst. He was then taken away and trialled for the murder of Hurst, before being found guilty of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. 

In recent years, Council’s arborists had undertaken works to improve the health of the Bushranger’s Tree after noticing the ground surrounding it was compacted, reducing the amount of oxygen, water and nutrients getting to the roots. 

Works were undertaken to improve the condition of the soil, including the addition of mulch, after which time the tree was responding well, with new foliage visibly growing.

However, after regular inspections, arborists noticed the leaves starting to turn brown, and the tree’s health quickly declining. Further investigations revealed a bore hole in the trunk, indicating some kind of vandalism had occurred.

David and his arboriculture team are currently assessing the damage to the tree in an effort to determine how it can be preserved, and to ensure any pruning required is as minimal as possible to protect its heritage value while ensuring it doesn’t become a safety risk.

“We have put so much time and effort into protecting this tree so that its heritage lives on, so it’s sad to think some of its branches will need to be removed,” he said.

Works to remove dead branches will require a planning permit and referral to Heritage Victoria.

Local historian Jean Verso knows a thing or two about historical trees. Her great grandfather Charles Verso was involved in the planting of an avenue of Elm trees in the town to commemorate the local servicemen who served in World War I.

As a local she was devastated to hear of the vandalism to the Bushranger’s Tree.

“It is beyond understanding that, having most likely seen so much of the work that was being done to improve the health of the tree, anyone would intentionally commit an act of vandalism like this.”