Significant Trees in the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens
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To reach the walk BOTANIC GARDEN WALK The walk begins at the car park near the rose garden in Downes Road, and proceeds in a clockwise direction. SIGNIFICANT TREES IN THE Start of walk (rose garden car park) coordinates CASTLEMAINE BOTANIC are 370 03’ 12.1” 1440 12’ 58.6” (gda94) GARDENS About the walk These gardens were established in 1860 shortly after the main gold rush and have been placed on the A self-guided walk Victorian Heritage Register. The area was marred by the numerous holes left by the miners. The of about 1.8km redoubtable Baron von Mueller provided much of the material for the earlier plantings, some of which still exist. The National Trust has placed a number of trees on the State Register of Significant Trees while an additional 7 are regarded as significant although not registered . In the gardens there are 8 different species of pine as well as the State Buddleia collection. In 1984-5 the Melbourne Botanic Gardens Rejuvenation Subcommittee identified most of the trees and some shrubs by numbers on small metal tags attached on the north side of the trunk. Many of these tags have now disappeared, but significant trees have been provided with clear labels. In these notes, the tag numbers are preceded by #. The Gardens have recently undergone a $2.5 million refurbishment which included an upgrade of the children’s playground and the picnic area. Electric barbecues and picnic tables under shelter now make this a popular venue. Registered trees marked*. Significant trees marked (S) Castlemaine A stroll in the Field Naturalists Club Inc. This edition: December 2012. Castlemaine Botanic Text and map by G. Broadway. Gardens Photo: The tea rooms framed Produced by by Rough- Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club Inc #A3010B barked Apple- myrtles PO Box 324 Castlemaine Vic 3450 The walk begins from the car park next to the rose garden and Gallipoli. In South Australia it does so well that is regarded as a weed. Close by is a heads South, continuing in a clockwise direction. On the left is the old fish hatchery and a footbridge across Barkers #562 Maritime Pine, Pinus pinaster. The name “pinaster” trans The first tree on the left is Creek. -lates as “a poor imitation of a pine”. A native of the Mediter- #159 Funeral Cypress, Cupressus funebris, On the right are some ranean region, it is the source of pycnogenol which protects while a few metres on is a #284(S) Rough-barked Apple-myrtles, Angophora floribunda, against harmful free radicals and boosts the immune system. It is an important timber tree in its region. It has long needles in pairs #158 Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus. from the east coast of Australia. Empress Josephine grew it in her garden at Malmaison by 1804. It is closely related genetically to the and is one of several fine specimens in these gardens. If we walk Between the third and the fourth picnic tables, if you glance genus Eucalyptus, but note how the leaves grow in opposite pairs. across towards the playground and barbecue shelter we find two towards the fence you will see a Continue for some distance to reach a #579* Stone Pines, Pinus pinea. Or Italian Pine. Source of the #129* Mimosa Bush, Vachellia farnesiana, formerly Acacia pine nuts used in cooking, for which purpose it has been farnesiana. A somewhat misshapen but also prickly specimen. #360 Spotted Gum, Corymbia maculata. A native of Queensland. NSW and E. Victoria, the timber is valued for a variety of purposes. cultivated around the Mediterranean for 6000 years. The cones Originally from Central America, Mimosa Bush has become a take 36 months to mature, longer than any other pine. Nearby is a problem in Northern Australia. Between it and the fence is a Continue on towards the main gates, cast in the foundry across #364* Soledad Pine, Pinus torreyana, which has a very restricted population in the wild of about 3000 trees in San Diego in Southern #582 Bunya Bunya Pine, Araucaria bidwillii. Native to S.E. the road and installed in 1878. Grouped around the gates are a Queensland, its distribution is now rather restricted. The large number of registered California. It is the only pine in the gardens in which the needles occur in groups of 5. It has also lost its label. nutritious nuts may once have fed dinosaurs. #1* Camperdown Elms, Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’. Continuing south past the playground and the toilet block we Every tree in the world of this species is a bud from the original 25 metres further north and under a large cypress is a pass a pair of large tree discovered at Camperdown House at Dundee in Scotland #383* Jersey Elm, Ulmus sarniensis, only two examples of which circa 1840, and grafted onto suitable stock, usually Wych Elm are known in Victoria. The other is in the Kyneton gardens. In 1815 #597 Aleppo Pines, Pinus halepensis. Now turn to the west, on the right of the path is found an it was said to be confined to the island of Guernsey. It was popular as On the other side of the former, largely obscured road is a #101* Indian Bean, Catalpa bignonioides, the largest example a street tree in the U.K. but has been virtually wiped out there by #624(S) Monkey Puzzle, Araucaria araucana. Native to the of its kind in Victoria. Registered but unlabelled. Dutch Elm disease. Andes in South America where its nuts formed an important part of the diet of the Araucarian Indians. Although listed as Nearby is the fountain which was installed in 1878 and recently Continue on to the playground where, on the right is a very large significant, this one is a rather miserable specimen. refurbished by a local foundry. Continue on through the #446* English Oak, Quercus robur, planted on May 26, 1863 by Wistaria arbour to reach on the left municipal dignitaries to celebrate the marriage of Edward, Prince of To the east of the summer house is #64(S) Princess Tree, Paulonia tomentosa, significant but Wales to Princess Alexandra of Denmark. It is believed to be the #635 Canary Island Pine, Pinus canariensis, the only one of its unregistered. second largest in Victoria and is the oldest planted tree in the gardens. kind in the gardens. Endemic to the Canary Islands it is the most fire-resistant conifer. A little further on are two To the left of the path is a very elderly The summer house was rebuilt by The Friends of the Gardens on #87, 88* Oriental Planes, Platanus orientalis. #435(S) Lombardy Poplar, Populus nigra ‘Italica’. Significant because poplars once formed a “wall”. Some which have expired the site of the former building. For many years the site was Continue to the north around the lake, on the left now is a have been replaced by a new row of saplings, raised and planted by marked only by the remains of the asphalt floor. #210* Large-leaved Linden, Tilia platyphyllos, only 3 of The Friends Group. From the summer house cross to the central path and continue which are believed to be in cultivation in Victoria As we continue north we observe on the right of the path south. As we approach the recently refurbished tea rooms we Lake Joanna on our right was formerly the course of Barkers #471(S) Western Yellow Pine Pinus ponderosa, significant because observe to the right of the path another pine tree, this one with Creek which was diverted and straightened. The cut off creek of its size. Another tree from western North America, its seeds are very pale bark. This is a bed was excavated using prison labour in 1878 and named after used by many birds and mammals, its needles are used by grouse and #319 Corsican Pine, Pinus nigra var maritima. A widespread the wife of the Mayor. It has recently (2011) undergone a the bark by beavers. Compare its needles with those the nearby Pinus Mediterranean species. Despite the name, the greatest range is facelift with rocks put in place to reduce erosion. When it was radiata. Both occur in clusters of 3 but differ greatly in size. In found in Turkey. An important timber species in the U.K. In drained and excavated, the trucks working on the bottom were 2011 a Western Yellow Pine in Oregon was measured at 81.77 metres N.Z. it is regarded as a noxious weed. out of sight from a short distance, showing that the lake is fairly making it the tallest known Pine. Near the north west corner of the tea rooms is a deep in parts. On the far side of Barkers Creek is the Sunken Playground, which was known, until 1938, as Lake Augusta, Continue round the bend passing where once grew a very large #485 #306* Woollybutt, Eucalyptus longifolia, native to the east referred to by locals as Lake Disgusta because of the less than Stone Pine, Pinus pinea. Unfortunately it fell down after the gardens coast of Australia, but rare in cultivation. pleasant smell. were flooded in the big flood of 2010. Other Stone Pines are growing Just south west of the tea rooms is another very tall pine tree further along the track. In the lawn to the north of the lake is a solitary #288* Digger Pine, Pinus sabiniana. So called because the As we approach the playground we find on the right of the path a #220 Aleppo Pine, Pinus halepensis, one of several fine Digger Indians of California would dig around the base of the specimens in these gardens.