200 Years of History

When Mayor Paul Antonio unveiled the ‘Stump in Time’, 200 years of history went on show. Despite the downpour right at the time of the occasion more than 50 Friends and members of the community made the morning a success.

Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio (right) and President of the Friends, George Smith,
with the 'Stump'. 

George, President of the Friends, made particular mention of Anna Smith “who had the original concept of the Stump in Time.  Anna is a former secretary and has been a tireless worker in many activities for the Friends.”
The "Stump" is a giant ancient Blackbutt and it demonstrates through its growth rings how Highfields has developed over the last two centuries. Information signs display landmark local and worldwide events in that time. Mosaics created by Anglicare volunteers illustrate some of Highfields history.

The Anglicare group who designed and created the mosaics.

The Friends have spent 2 years planning  this project. Preparing the stump, the design and installation of the signs and mosaics were possible with a grant from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund, Anglicare and the support of the Toowoomba Regional Council.

The growth rings in the Blackbutt stump.

The mature native trees at Peacehaven make it a special place. Stan Kuhl saw the value of these magnificent giants and donated the land to the community for centuries to come. 

Overlooked and Underrated

Smyrell's Clausena at Peacehaven

The Clausena smyrelliana, Smyrell’s Clausena or Greg’s Wampi (a great name in my opinion) was overlooked by Europeans until the 1990s. It was brought to the botanical world’s attention by Greg Smyrell, a Queensland botanist. They have been found in the rainforest only in a very restricted part of the Maryborough/ Bundaberg region. The first one was discovered by Greg Smyrell in the Hervey Bay area, then a few more in 2005 in a small patch at Mon Repos. Unfortunately the Bundaberg trees died, possibly due to the drought, and now only one, the original, is known to exist in the wild.

Why aren’t we shouting this from the rooftops? It must be one of the rarest plants in the wild. 

The flower with my finger tip to show the scale.

Luckily it has been easy to cultivate, and Peacehaven has its own beautiful specimen. It belongs to the Rutaceae or citrus family. The edible fruit is said to have a citrus flavour and the crushed leaves smell of lemon.

It’s a fast growing but small tree, about 7-8 m in the wild, probably smaller in your garden. It has a dense canopy of shiny, dark green leaves giving a very textural appearance. The flowers are tiny though showy in clusters above the leaves. The fruit when ripe are white.

A close cousin is the Clausena lansium or Wampi from Asia. Its fruit is very sweet and popular in that part of the world fresh or cooked in pies or jams.  

Click here for an interesting article on Greg's Wampi.

Unripe fruit of Clausena smyrelliana

Spring Colour

Peacehaven’s colour is more subtle than Toowoomba's Carnival but just as lovely.

The Gymea Lily, Doryanthes excelsa, living up to its ‘exceptional’ name shines like a light in the afternoon sun. You’ll find it in the island bed near the rotunda. This species of Doryanthes is from the Sydney area, but you’ll find our local species, D. palmeri, near the dry creek. 

Gymea Lily

The exceptional flowers

Spear Lily, Doryanthes palmeri

Bleeding Heart, Homalanthus populifolius, is hiding in the rainforest beside the dry creek. It is a small tree beautifully suited to our gardens with its delicate heart-shaped foliage. Also the fruit is relished by a variety of native birds including rainforest pigeons, bowerbirds, honeyeaters, currawongs, orioles and silvereyes. 

What colour!

Bleeding Heart 

On the other side of the rainforest nearer the southerly fence is the Syzygium wilsonii, Powderpuff Lillypilly. Right now its new foliage is a startling garnet-red against the older green leaves. The buds are a similar colour and will be beautiful rich red powder puffs before long. Go look for it on your walk. 

Powderpuff Lillypilly new foliage

Powderpuff Lillypilly buds

More shining jewels are nearby in the purple fruits of the Callicarpa pedunculata, Velvet Leaf or Beautyberry. This species comes from north Queensland where some were collected by the botanists on the Endeavour.

Velvet Leaf

In the section of the park close to Scott St, the Rusty Kurrajong, Brachychiton bidwillii, is flowering in the Brachychiton collection. It loses its leaves before flowering which makes the colour even more startling. What a lovely tree to have in your garden, and they are frost and drought tolerant from a very early age. 

Rusty Kurrajong flower

The young Rusty Kurrajong

The dry rainforest collection has little gems of its own. Beside the path is Elaeocarpus obovatus known as Blueberry Ash, Freckled Oliveberry or Hard Quandong. (Now you know why botanists use the scientific names!) You will need to go up close to see the detail of its lovely fringed bells. 

Flower detail

Massed blooms

Elaeocarpus obovatus

Or hidden in the foliage of the Deep Yellow Wood, Rhodosphaera rhodanthema, are these exquisite little flowers. The fruit will become a shiny, deep chestnut-brown.

Deep Yellow Wood flowers

Deep Yellow Wood Tree

Stump in Time

Today our stump was sliced so that the rings will be easily seen in the new display. David Harriman from Colonial Woodcrafts near Kingsthorpe used his portable sawmill. The first slice exposed live termites so more slices were taken off until there was a smooth surface.

David Harriman and the portable sawmill.

Sawdust flying as the stump is cut.

Removing the slice.

The rings are very clear and will make a good display. We had the stump treated for the white ants. It is now covered with a tarp and must stay that way so Peacehaven's native bees don't go near it or they could poison their hive and wipe it out. The stump will stay covered for a fortnight. Then the surface will be sanded and sealed.

Keith from the Friends of Peacehaven sweeping the stump
to reveal the rings.

For more about Colonial Woodcrafts check out the 2011 Studio Safari brochure, click here.

For those of you who are wondering about the rose garden this is being relocated to a more suitable area in the park. At the moment the roses are being carefully tended by council staff until a new garden is ready.