Australian collection

The landscaped Australian Collection demonstrates the diversity of native tree forms, from tall eucalypts through mallee woodlands to wide-spaced dry season deciduous specimens as well as a small rainforest grove. The collection includes extensive plantings of South-West WA species.  Among new plantings is a range of uncommon West Australian tree species were planted during the 2020 winter. 

This brings The Tree Park’s collection of trees from the South-West Region alone to over 120 different tree species.

A conceptual landscape design for the Australian Collection was prepared by the Forests Department’s Landscape Architects in 1982.  This conceptual plan proposed that trees such as Eucalyptus brevistyllis, Corymbia calophylla and E. patens should be planted as a broad backbone to the area to provide uniformity in the landscape appearance.   This backbone was designed to encourage better form of trees and provide shelter for more sensitive species. It was subsequently decided to amend the plan by using Eucalypts in general, rather than a few species, to provide the backbone.  The accent is, however, directed towards the diversity of woody Australian native plants and their landscapes other than those commonly planted in arboreta.

As part of the Australian Collection, a seed orchard of rare species was established by the Forests Department over an area of about 2 hectares.  This was established in 1982 and added in 1983.  The species planted were all native to the South-West bio-region of Western Australia and included Eucalyptus kruseana, E. macrocarpa, E. megacornuta, E. preissiana, E. burdettiana, E brevistylis and E. sepulcralis.

It is now considered that the scale of this planting, and the unknown diversity of the genetic base of these plantings, make it inappropriate to recommend the collection of its seed for use elsewhere. Instead, the area is now considered the foundation of an ongoing collection of rarer Western Australian species, and space exists in this area for significant additional planting.

In 1987, the acacia woodlands, Tall Eucalypts and Rainforest were planted. Three plantings, representing structural groups of eucalypts; Mallees, Mallets & Gimlets, were added between 2000 – 2013.

In 2000, a mallee collection was added, using species selected for Wheatbelt tree crop development.  The trees were established in hedges designed for regular harvesting for eucalyptus oil and biomass. In 2009, a selection of Western Australian Wheatbelt mallee eucalypts was added to the south-east slopes.  These species share a common form, with erect growth habit and steep upward growing branch angles. This planting was complemented by the addition of three tall growing Wheatbelt woodland species.

In 2012, a gimlet collection was added on the lower slopes to the north east of the mallee planting.  Eight eucalypts share a fluted trunk form, with one a rough barked mallee, and the remainder smooth barked small trees.

In 2017 various Casuarinas and Allocasuarinas were planted downhill.

Approximately 4000 trees have been planted overall, with about half of these surviving.