Drouin - Trees of Many Nations Walk

Drouin - Trees of Many Nations Walk created by Friends of Drouin's Trees

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Summary

A fairly level walk with only one short uphill section. Approximately 2 km.

Description

A fairly level walk with one short uphill section. This walk highlights some of the old planted trees of Drouin including oaks, planes and elms in avenues, as well as superb remnant trees in bushland settings. The lower bush areas can be wet in winter, so appropriate footwear needs to be worn. Kookaburras, rosellas, wattle birds and wetlands birds can usually be seen.

Start at Porter Memorial Park. It has twelve deciduous trees, mostly English Elms and Oaks planted early in the 1900s. The large flowering gum, approximately 60 years old, was used by the Buln Buln Shire for seed stock.

Walk south east along Porter Pl on the path outside the Oak Street Kinder. These four beautiful old oaks were planted as shade early in the 1900s, when this area was the site of the district sale yards. These trees have girths of ~3 m and are 18-20 m high.

At the last oak, walk through JC Wells Park to Oak St. You will see a Silky Oak planted in the 1950s. Nectar feeding birds love the flowers.

Cross over Main South Rd and walk down the roadway past the Old Drouin Butter Factory.

Alex Goudie Flora and Fauna Reserve and the Trees of Nations is ahead. This park was named in honour of Alexander Goudie who was three times Buln Buln Shire President and had a strong commitment to the improvement of Drouin’s environment. It is set around existing natural springs which form the lake and become the headwaters of Gum Scrub Creek crossing under the railway line east of the park.

Stay north of the pond and walk through grassy parkland to the east end of the park. The parkland flows into ‘Snake gully’. This area has about 150 large native eucalypts; Mountain Greys, Messmates, Strzeleckii and Peppermints. The grove of large gums at the end of the gully was once home to koalas in the early 1900s.

Walk uphill along Oddy Street to Lardner Rd.

Turn right and head down Lardner Rd to no. 43.

Cross to the south side. Outside the factory are two Flax-leaf and one Prickly-leaf Paperbark. The largest Flax-leaf, a superb example opposite no. 37, has a trunk girth of 1.5 m and is estimated to be 70 years old. It is covered in white flowers in summer. Stop and look up into the canopy. Ironically the Flax-leaf has a rough bark and the Prickly-leaf has smooth bark. The Lardner Road Drouin Butter Factory was built in 1939. At the height of its era it became the largest single supplier of milk to the Melbourne markets.

Keep walking down Lardner Rd. The avenue of twenty plane trees with grey mottled trunks, planted in the 1930s has been ‘pollarded’.

At the driveway of 1 Lardner Rd are two Norfolk Island pines planted by John Sutcliffe in 1889 for his house ‘The Orient’. Mr Sutcliffe was a prominent early pioneer, councillor and businessman.

Cross Main South Rd. Turn back to look back at the Sutcliffe Giant, which has died but been preserved as habitat.

Walk past the store, towards your start point under the avenue of heritage English elms.

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Points of Interest

1. Porter Memorial Park

Twelve elms and oaks, planted in the early 1900s.

2. Leo's ficifolia tree

Flowering gum used as seed stock by Buln Buln Shire during the 1960s and 70s.

3. Heritage oaks

Four English oaks, planted as shade trees at the site of what was then the Drouin sale yards in the early 1900s.

4. Old Drouin Butter Factory

Old Drouin Butter Factory built in 1904. When the factory relocated to Lardner Rd in 1936, the building was used as a grain store, then a bulk spreading store, then a theatre restaurant.

5. Alex Goudie Flora and Fauna Reserve

Flora and fauna park named in honour of Alex Goudie, who was three times Buln Buln Shire president. The park is set around natural springs, which form the lake and is the headwaters of Gum Scrub Ck.

6. The Trees of Nations

In July 1988, Australia’s Bicentenary, trees were planted to acknowledge the nationalities of people living in the Buln Buln Shire, including; cypresses, horse chestnut, golden rain tree, palms etc.

7. Wetland birds

Look for many species of wetland birds, including these chestnut teals.

8. Snake Gully

Snake Gully was named in the early 1900s by locals for the snakes which escaped and slithered into the gully from the timbers brought in for the factory boiler. It has ~150 large, native eucalypts.

9. Group of large mountain grey gums

This grove of mountain grey gums was once home to koalas in Drouin's early years.

10. Flax leaf paperbark

Large flax leaf paperbark with a trunk girth of 1.5 metres. Estimated to be 70 years old. Note the rough bark.

11. Pollarded plane trees

Twenty plane trees, planted in the 1930s which have been pollarded, line both sides of the road. Pollarding involves pruning the upper branches, promoting a dense balled head of foliage.

12. The Sutcliffe Giant

A mountain grey gum, known as the Sutcliffe Giant, for John Sutcliffe, one of the original settlers of the district. This tree was living until very recently and is now preserved as a habitat tree.