Arkaroola redgum......

Submitted: Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 11:08
ThreadID: 74869 Views:3069 Replies:4 FollowUps:9
This Thread has been Archived
Well....that's what we call it.

In 1990... or thereabouts we went for a family holiday to the Flinders Ranges and on to Gammon Ranges.

At some point we camped by a river. Eating lunch one afternoon I absent mindedly tugged on a a few seedlings growing in the river pebbles... Out they came.... maybe 8 or so.

To my environmental/green shame.... I put them into a the sandwich bag I had just used. I shoved them under the seat of the old troopie and forgot about them.

Several weeks later back at home I found them. They were still green so I shoved them into a plant pot with some soil..... and then forgot about them for another few months.

Sure enough.... they survived. I planted them in the garden... they died.

One however I planted at the gate of the "Old Block".

We have sold our home and next year will build on the 116 acre "Old Block" Rosedale Vic.

This block has some of the rather special Rosedale plains red gums... apparently they are a slightly threatened sub species.

Meanwhile at the gate is the amazingly small.... say 3 meter "Arkaroola redgum".

It flowered this year..... and here is the worry...... a birds and bees situation.... nature taking it's course....

What if a hybrid red gum is produced! What if it has hybrid vigour? Maybe a 'day of the triffids' invasion of hybrid redgums will take off ...

And then I always wondered about the huntsmen spiders that I brought home from the block... 26ks to home... they may have mated with the hill spiders and maybe even now the new owners are having an invasion of the hybrid spiders?

Or maybe I should get back out and do some work!

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: Member - Royce- Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 11:09

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 11:09
The hunsmen travelled in the firewood in case you wondered.
AnswerID: 397552

Follow Up By: Member - Royce- Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 11:09

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 11:09
That would be hunTsmen. And now I will go and do some work.
0
FollowupID: 666429

Reply By: Member - Josh (TAS) - Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:18

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:18
Hi Royce,
I grew up in Rosedale, well Willung actually, went to Willung primary till grade 4 then did 5 and 6 at Rosedale. Haven't been back there for a while.
Amazing how hardy plants are. I worked for a nursery for a few years and if we had something special we wanted to grow we joked we should throw it on the compost heap cause then it would grow, if we looked after it then it would die.
We wouldn't have half the plants we have now if someone didn't cross pollunate them (not always good though)

Josh
AnswerID: 397643

Follow Up By: Member -Chops - Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:52

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:52
My Mum and Dad lived in Rosedale for about 15 years. Out at Ashton Court
Col
0
FollowupID: 666532

Follow Up By: Member - Royce- Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:57

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:57
so what years Josh? I taught at Willung PS over a ten year period Mid 80s to early 90s. We just moved from Willung Sth.
0
FollowupID: 666533

Follow Up By: Member - Royce- Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:58

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:58
PS... We are building on our block near the speedway/Golf course.
0
FollowupID: 666534

Follow Up By: Member - Josh (TAS) - Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:18

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:18
I left willung at the end of grade 3 in 82 and did 4-5 at Rosedale. I think Graham Fraser was the principal and his wife Pat was the other teacher for all 11 of the students. Rosemary Cordy was my teacher at Rosedale and the family is well known in the area, her son played AFL. Was a great little school. Is the speedway still going? I know where that is, it was a great track. Heading from Rosedale to Willung we were on the farm on the left hand side just before the bridge over the Merrimans creek. There was a dirt road just before the bridge (Willung rd or old Willung rd I think), farm was bordered by the creek and the pine plantation was across the road.
I left the farm when I was 12. Used to catch some good sand trout in the creek and a few good eels too.

Josh
0
FollowupID: 666562

Follow Up By: Member - Royce- Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:29

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:29
I knew Graham and Pat. I filled in for Pat at Carrajung Sth PS as Graham succumbed to Crones Disease.... sad. She is happily remarried and living in Neerim Sth I think.

I remember Rosemary.

The speedway kicks off every second weekend for sections of the year. Thankfully it is quiet after 10.30pm!!

A nice winery is down the dirt road now. Not sure who owns the property just before the bridge.

The trout and eels are still there along with platypus.
0
FollowupID: 666563

Follow Up By: Member - Josh (TAS) - Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:41

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:41
You know what's really funny, after leaving Willung we moved to warragul and then to Neerim East. Pat moved there a short time later and Lived about 10 mins up the road.
Don't ever remember seeing platypus in the creek.

I have always said "It's a big country but a small world"
Josh
0
FollowupID: 666566

Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:57

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:57
Don't worry about it Royce, Global Warming will take care of your feral gum.

VKS737 - Mobile 6352 (Selcall 6352)

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

AnswerID: 397645

Follow Up By: Member - Royce- Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:59

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 20:59
Or set the ferals off good and proper!
0
FollowupID: 666536

Reply By: Eric Experience - Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 21:26

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 21:26
Royce.
It is pleasing to think that you care about the trees. For your gum to become a problem it will have to flower at the same time and share a common pollinator with a very similar tree, a long shot I would think. When I bought the block I live on now I though I had a rare wattle on the block and thought it was my responsibility to look after it, 30 years later it has multiplied to become one of the most common on the land, last year a botanist visited me and was horrified to see this plant as it is a bad environmental weed. So I spent a fortnight cutting them down. Eric.
AnswerID: 397650

Follow Up By: Member - Royce- Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:11

Monday, Jan 04, 2010 at 23:11
A redgum is a very similar tree to a redgum....

So Cootamundra Wattle? They have become a weed in many places.
0
FollowupID: 666559

Sponsored Links