Gum trees in Southern Australia. They were impressive trees that I noticed right away. Here is some interesting information about them.

This is a gum tree in Evelyn and Tom's block (which to us it is an acreage). She planted it in the 30 years that they have lived there.  

Gum tree that is older.  Noticed that the bark is coming off.  That is what I noticed thinking the tree was dead, but it is well.  

This is a gum tree in the Sale Botanical Garden.  Favorite place for kids to play on and it is still alive.  

​What the sign says at the botanical garden.
Southern Blue Gum Eucalyptus Globulus
This stately eucalypt is widespread from Tasmania to Southern New South Wales coast. In the mid-19th century it was believed that plants Blue Gum in swampy areas had beneficial effects of the reduction of fever’s and  malaria, which was very serious and could be fatal conditions in those times. The hardwood of the Blue Gum also found its way overseas to be used in the expansions of the railroads.
It is estimated that this specimen was planted around 1870’s when it was popular to use indigenous trees alongside pines and other exotic trees.   

      To remove bark, the Aboriginal people cut an outline of the shape they wanted using stone axes or, once Europeans had arrived, steel axes. The bark was then levered off. Sometimes the axe marks made by Aboriginal people are still visible on the sapwood of the tree, but usually the marks will be hidden because the bark has grown back. The amount of bark regrowth may help you tell the age of the scar. Sometimes, if the scar is very old, it will be completely covered by regrowth.  This scarred tree is a canoed scarring on trees at the Murray River. 
I looked up the Murray River and this is what I found.  The Murray River is located in south-eastern Australia, and is the longest river in Australia, at 2,508 kilometers. Starting in the Australian Alps, it passes from the province of South Australia and then forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales. It is also generally considered the third longest river on earth, behind both the Amazon and the Nile rivers.  image from government photo 

​The canoe picture is from South Australia with Aboriginal men in a bark canoe 1870.  Harry Godson collection 

           Here is my weekly writing about our “Our Trip Down Under” Today I want to talk about trees, Southern Blue Gum tree.  It was the first tree that we noticed as they were big, and the bark was off of them, so you thought they were dying.  But that is far from what they are.   “Blue Gum Tree” Southern Blue gum the stately eucalypt is widespread from Tasmania from southern New South Wales.

In the mid-19th century, it was believed that planting Blue Guma in swampy areas had beneficial effects of the reduction of fevers and malaria which were serious and could be fatal conditions in those times    The hardwood of the Blue Gum also found it way overseas to be used in the expansion of the railroad. Information from Sale Botanical Gardens. It is estimated that this specimen was treated planted around the 1870’s when it was popular to us indigenous trees alongside pines and other exotic trees.

Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus, commonly known as the Tasmanian blue gum, southern blue gum, or blue gum,[2] is a subspecies of tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has mostly smooth bark with some persistent slabs of old bark at the base, juvenile leaves with one glaucous side, glossy, lance-shaped adult leaves, warty flower buds arranged singly in leaf axils, white flowers and hemispherical to conical fruit that is more or less square in cross-section.

Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus is a tree that typically grows to a height of 70 m (230 ft) and forms a lignotuber. The bark is mostly smooth, shedding in long strips to leave a white or greyish surface. There is sometimes rough, partially shed bark at the base of the trunk and ribbons of shedding bark in the upper branches.

Flowering occurs between May and January and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, sessile, hemispherical to conical capsule, square in cross-section, 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and 14–27 mm (0.55–1.06 in) wide with four longitudinal ridges and the valves at about rim level.
Tasmanian blue gum was first formally described in 1800 This blue gum grows in woodland and forest in moist valleys in Victoria and Tasmania, including on Flinders and King Islands. It is common in lowland areas of Tasmania but is only found in the far south of Victoria, including in places like Port Franklin and Wilsons Promontory.

Tallest specimens in 2021 and 80 metre tall specimen, regarded as being the largest known remaining Tasmanian blue gum and estimated as being 500 years old, was discovered in the Huon Valley, in a coup originally slated for logging in 2023.
 
These trees have such a history for the Aboriginal’s.  They are old trees that need to be realized what they have done for this area of Australia. 

We went to an Aboriginal Museum to see how they lived.   We saw pictures of these trees. We went on a boat tour at Sale, and we saw the trees that they called Scarred tree.
A scarred tree or scar tree, also known as a canoe tree and shield tree, is a tree which has had bark removed by Aboriginal Australians for the creation of bark canoes, shelters, weapons such as shields, tools, traps, containers (such as coolamons), or other artefacts. Carved trees may also be created as a form of artistic and spiritual expression by some Aboriginal peoples, to mark sites of significance such as burial sites. Trees in some areas are culturally modified in other ways that change their form, including "trees-in-trees".

Bark was removed by making deep cuts in a tree with a stone pickaxe or other similar tool. The area of bark removed is typically regular in shape, often with parallel sides and slightly pointed or rounded ends, and the scar usually stops above ground level. Australian native Eucalypt species such as box and red gum (especially in Victoria), swamp mahogany, river box, or whichever species are native in the area. Scars remain in trees that are often over 200 years old. Sometimes there is exposed sapwood at the base or at the top of the scar, showing axe cuts.

Aboriginal people removed bark from trees to make things like canoes, containers and shields, as well as to build temporary shelters. Sometimes they cut toe holds for ease of climbing, with the trees used as lookouts or to hunt for bush foods.[1] Wrapping meat or seafood in layers of moistened paperbark (melaleuca) and nestling it into the hot coals is one of traditional aboriginal way of cooking.

Bark canoes were mainly used for fishing or crossing rivers or lakes rather than long journeys. They were usually propelled by punting with a long stick.
To remove bark, the Aboriginal people cut an outline of the shape they wanted using stone axes or, once Europeans had arrived, steel axes. The bark was then levered off. Sometimes the axe marks made by Aboriginal people are still visible on the sapwood of the tree, but usually the marks will be hidden because the bark has grown back. The amount of bark regrowth may help you tell the age of the scar. Sometimes, if the scar is very old, it will be completely covered by regrowth.  This scarred tree is a canoe scarring on trees at the Murray River. 

I looked up the Murray River and this is what I found.  The Murray River is in south-eastern Australia, and is the longest river in Australia, at 2,508 kilometers. Starting in the Australian Alps, it passes from the province of South Australia and then forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales. It is also generally considered the third longest river on earth, behind both the Amazon and the Nile rivers.

The canoe picture is from South Australia with Aboriginal men in a bark canoe 1870. 
What history of these trees are for the area.  Something you didn’t realize that the Aboriginal’s needed canoes.  Most of Australia is desert and barren, but where Evelyn and Tom live it is so different with water around them in rivers, creeks, lakes and then the ocean.  
information from Scarred tree - Wikipedia
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365