They dominate our skyline and yet we barely see them. By John Coldebella
THE area that makes up Bass Coast Shire has changed dramatically since European settlement. Large quantities of native flora were removed to make way for townships and farmland, leaving a relatively bare landscape in many places. As time passed, new trees, shrubs and flowers were introduced. Now we have plants from every continent, with the obvious exception of Antarctica, which allows us to enjoy exotic fruit from our own gardens along with the delightful scents of the magnolia tree, roses and many other plants. Other introduced species give radiant colour to our autumns.
One type of tree that tends to go under the radar, and in some cases over the radar, is the palm tree. Just as a recently learned new word seems to appear everywhere, so it is with palm trees when you start looking for them.
THE area that makes up Bass Coast Shire has changed dramatically since European settlement. Large quantities of native flora were removed to make way for townships and farmland, leaving a relatively bare landscape in many places. As time passed, new trees, shrubs and flowers were introduced. Now we have plants from every continent, with the obvious exception of Antarctica, which allows us to enjoy exotic fruit from our own gardens along with the delightful scents of the magnolia tree, roses and many other plants. Other introduced species give radiant colour to our autumns.
One type of tree that tends to go under the radar, and in some cases over the radar, is the palm tree. Just as a recently learned new word seems to appear everywhere, so it is with palm trees when you start looking for them.
Since giving them my attention, I've noticed them in the background of photos accompanying newspaper articles. Some examples include a photo of work being undertaken in Leongatha’s main street, and one of the inaugural Wonthaggi Blues football team taken in the early 1950s.
  The Wonthaggi Hospital palm was relocated at considerable expense.   | Then I remember the ones at Tarwin Lower, a paddock full of them on Phillip Island, just out of Newhaven on your right if you're heading for Cowes, and others on farms around the district. Then there are the ones I remember from my childhood which have been removed since then. Two notable ones were in Court Street and Caledonian Crescent. This has made me reconsider a lifetime of erroneously associating these trees exclusively with tropical, subtropical, and desert zones despite the contrary evidence before my eyes. Wonthaggi, not fitting into any of these climatic categories, has a surprising number. Some of the tallest are in prominent positions such as near the court house and in the hospital grounds. While some people see them as high rise apartments for starlings, others are very protective of them. When work on the hospital upgrade began some months ago, management of Bass Coast Health received many demands that the palm tree not be removed. It has since been relocated to the rear of the complex, closer to Baillieu Street, and so remains a local landmark without having to protrude from the middle of a new ward. Conducting a survey south of Graham Street, I did not find a single street without a palm of one species or another. Even when I thought I had, going down one of the shortest streets in the town, I got to the end and there they were; six of them on the front boundary. You can find at least one in the tiniest of courts. They range from large, up to almost 70-year-old varieties (the one near the courthouse may be even older) to miniature species appearing close to the front door in newly established estates. Some yards have up to seven of them. Some of the older ones are now producing seeds. Another thing that surprised me was that when I stopped to photograph some of the larger ones, I noticed several others off to the left or right. They are everywhere. What is it about these plants? Do they allow us to imagine we are in the tropics or at an oasis? Do they subconsciously comfort us till we can get back to Queensland, Bali or California? It makes me wonder what Wonthaggi's skyline will look like 50 years from now. And what if our rainfall patterns were to be greatly reduced or to stop altogether? The discovery of ancient river beds in the Sahara desert and nearby rock etchings of animals suggest another time rich in plant and animal life. The so called Fertile Crescent in the Middle East has also turned to desert over a couple of thousand years. I don't wish to sound pessimistic, but the future could one day see our beautiful Bass Coast turn into a wasteland punctuated by olives, figs and palm trees. Hopefully, that won't happen but, in the meantime, let's be aware of the paradise in which we live and be grateful for our surrounds and the richness of its diversity. |