Historic Trees

Visitors to the museum would not be aware that there are some very historic trees growing in the museum gardens. To rectify this, funding has been sought to have information plaques near 4 of the trees.

Historic Trees – River Gum – Eucalyptus camaldulensis
The River Gum is found throughout southern Australia growing along watercourses and on flood plains. It is only on the windswept Greenough Flats that the tree develops its distinctive leaning shape.
About the year 1220AD a seedling sprouted here and slowly grew over the centuries into this magnificent tree. Over that time many generations of the Yamatji would have sought shelter beneath its leafy boughs from the hot summer sun.

Historic Trees – Cotton Palm – Washingtonia filifera
The Cotton Palm is a native to south-western North America. About the time the two-storey section of this homestead was built, a Cotton Palm was planted in the front garden. For close to 100 years, the palm stood tall, until killed by the effects of aerial spraying. Fortunately in the early 1950’s, Nellie Rudduck planted one of its seedlings here.

Historic Trees –Seville Orange Tree– Citrus aurantium
Whilst the Orange Tree originated in Southeast Asia, it was in Spain that this type was developed for the bitter taste of its fruit, much used in the making of marmalade.
John Steven Maley was responsible for introducing many different types of fruit trees to Greenough in the 1880s. Of all those fruit trees he planted around this homestead, only this orange tree remains.

Historic Trees – Pepper Tree – Schinus molle
The Pepper Tree is native to the arid zone of Northern South America, Mexico and Peru's Andean deserts. Although not related to commercial pepper, the berries are sold as "pink peppercorns" and often blended with commercial pepper. Pepper Trees first arrived in Victoria in the 1870s and were brought to this garden by the eminent Victorian botanist, Baron von Mueller in 1876.
These are possibly the first Pepper Trees introduced to this part of Western Australia.