It would have cost this farmer over $2.2M to legally clear this remnant woodland (assuming the clearing was approved), so he did it illegally and copped an $84K fine.
How can this do anything but encourage more profit-driven landowners to do the same?
That wraps up another rewarding open weekend at the arboretum, with nearly 400 visitors of all ages joining us amongst the eucalypts. Thanks for everyone who joined us!
We'll do it all again on 12 & 13 Sept 2026, when hopefully everything is looking a bit greener and lots more is in flower.
At the introduction poster. We have planted 820 of the 840 known species of eucalypts at the arboretum.
Annett at the bird poster. We have now recorded 98 bird species at the arboretum.
Eucalyptus conferruminata subsp. 'Cape Arid' (Cape Arid marlock)
Eucalyptus citriodora (lemon-scented gum).
Setting up for the open days this weekend (Sat 28 & Sun 29 March 2026). We have some new posters and signs on about 100 of the >800 eucalypt species growing here. Open both days 9am to 4:30pm and tours with me start at 10am & 2pm.
Hope some of you can make it along! www.dn.com.au/Currency_Cre...
Sampling leaves of Eucalyptus sp. Woodsreef (an unnamed species from NSW) at Currency Creek Arboretum.
Sampling leaves of Eucalyptus brevistylis (Rate's tingle) at Currency Creek Arboretum.
The new pole pruner, used for sampling leaves up to 9 m high at the arboretum.
In the field at Currency Creek Arboretum sampling eucalypt leaves with researchers from the School of Agriculture, Food & Ecosystem Sciences at the Uni of Melbourne. We got to test the new pole pruner to sample the taller trees - reaches to about 9 m!
50-odd for the Moto GP run-off areas and 585 for the LIV golf course. It’s hard to believe!
This tree, as well as another 620 similar-sized trees here, will soon get the chop to make way for the Moto GP and an annual private golf event coming to Adelaide's parklands. Seems the parklands are no longer for the people, trees or nature :-(
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A large sugar gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) in the parklands of Adelaide, between the tee and target on a disc golf 'hole'.
The trunk facing the tee is heavily marked by frisbee impacts, but there's no long-term damage to the tree. It's a great example of trees and recreation/sport coexisting.
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Less than 3 weeks to go until our biannual open days at Currency Creek Arboretum in SA! See the most diverse collection of living eucalypts in the world and learn all about them at one of the free guided tours on the day.
Sat 28 & Sun 29 March 2026. Details: www.dn.com.au/Currency_Cre...
This video at our arboretum water trough in February (ignore the date stamp) shows how crowded it gets on a hot day during record dry conditions. New Holland, white-plumed, brown-headed and black-chinned (centre of frame) honeyeaters, little wattlebirds and willie wagtails.
Last weekend's rain was forecast to break records in SA and Vic, and although it did in some areas, we only recorded 23 mm at Currency Creek Arboretum. Lucked out this time!
A fascinating two days with the dedicated crew of Gardening Australia, filming two segments with the wonderful Sophie Thomson. One will focus on the impacts of climate change at Currency Creek Arboretum, the other will highlight our backyard pool-to-pond conversion. Both will air later in the year.
BOM is suggesting total forecast rainfall >50 mm (over 8 days from today) for much of SA and Vic.
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts is suggesting 95 mm (over 5 days from Friday to Tuesday) for the arboretum.
The BOM text forecast is for 2 to 72 mm (over 4 days from Friday to Monday), which is a bit of a worry...
24 month rainfall for the south of SA (including at the arboretum) is still 'Lowest on record'.
I know it's only a prediction based on modelling, but it's difficult not to get excited about the massive rainfall event forecast through drought-stricken parts of SA and Vic over the next week.
50+ mm would be a literal life-saver for so many species at the arboretum.
Whilst much of Australia floods, rainfall in parts of southern SA and Vic is still 'lowest on record' over the last 2 years. And haven't had a drop of rain since November at the arboretum.
reg.bom.gov.au/climate/maps...
That's 50 to 100 *species* (not individuals) that have succumbed to climate-related drought at the arboretum in the last 24 months. Every species there is (or was) represented by multiple individuals/replicates.
Table summarising the number of eucalypt species growing at Currency Creek Arboretum.
Screenshot from BOM indicating rainfall deciles in South Australia over 24 months to December 2025.
The arboretum reached 'peak eucalypt diversity' in early 2024, when we had 95% of all euc species growing (820 of the 840 known species).
Since then, we've lost 50 to 100 species due to 'drought'. With runaway anthropogenic climate change, we're unlikely to ever reach those Feb 2024 numbers again.
Another drier than average year, after last year's rainfall being the lowest on record for parts of SA. And now, just to top it off, we're going for the driest summer on record...
www.weatherzone.com.au/news/after-b...
Variole paropsine beetle larvae chewing a few leaves on a Eucalyptus mckieana sapling at Currency Creek Arboretum.
Pretty cool critters at this life-stage, but I'm hoping to see them as adult beetles, when they become much more endearing! See:
www.inaturalist.org/taxa/746677-...
New article on 'Hybridisation and Species Boundary in Eucalypts'. It focuses on 1) Phantom hybrids & 2) The Eucalyptus globulus species complex.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Photos are of 'The Mallacoota Gum', a phantom hybrid of E. cypellocarpa and E. pseudoglobulus.
The 'Forest Lodge Tree', an impressively tall river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in the upper Glenelg River catchment in the heart of Gariwerd / The Grampians.
I laser-measured this tree at 48 m tall, 7.3 m in trunk girth at chest height, and 26 m in average canopy diameter.
The 'Faraway Tree' at Moot Yang Gunya Swamp in Mundulla (south-west of Bordertown) in South Australia.
I measured this massive river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) last week at 8.77 metres in trunk girth at chest height, 41 m tall, and 31 metres in average canopy spread.
Any South Aussies looking for real-time Fire Behaviour Index data on a map? This page is great for ugly days like today: sapaging.com/ffdi_map
You can also click on any ‘spot’ to get current & recent FBI, temps, wind gusts, humidity etc.
A outstanding specimen of Eucalyptus woodwardii (lemon-flowered gum) growing in the wild. It's one of 173 types of eucalypts that occur naturally in the WA goldfields, and one of 46 species that occur naturally nowhere else in the world.
More info: www.dn.com.au/Eucalypts_of...
After decades of research, our new book on the eucalypts of WA's goldfields has finally arrived! Designed, compiled and printed in Australia.
Looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks of this one.
For more information, sample pages and to order:
www.dn.com.au/Eucalypts_of...
For more info and order direct from the authors (to be sent upon release next week):
Dean Nicolle:
www.dn.com.au/Eucalypts_of...
Malcolm French:
www.eucalyptsofwa.com.au/eucalypts-of...
Cover of our new book, to be released next week (in the first week of December 2025).
A typical goldfields landscape, with the iconic 𝘌𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘴 (gimlet).
The area covered by this book. It includes the Great Western Woodlands and the WA section of the Great Victoria Desert. A total of 173 eucalypt species and subspecies occur in the WA goldfields.
Sample page-spread for 𝘌𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘪 (lemon-flowered gum).
𝐄𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬
Malcolm French and I are delighted to introduce our newest book, to be released next week! It includes all 173 different eucalypts from the WA goldfields, including many iconic species (gimlets, salmon gum, coral gum, the 'minniritchi' mallees, etc).
Both are Eucalyptus conferruminata. This is much more commonly planted than both E. sinuosa and E. lehmannii and differs from both in being a non-lignotuberous tree (an obligate seeder) rather than mallees.
Two big issues with the new BOM site, for anyone working in the field:
The 'Current Observations' table, where you could see and compare current observations (wind gusts, temps etc) across the state, is no more.
Rain radar maps are dumbed-down so it is difficult to locate on-ground locations.
The new BOM site is a shemozzle. Dumbed-down information and impossible to find actual weather data. A massive step backwards for such an important service.
Currency Creek Arboretum open days for 2026 are now scheduled!
The world's most diverse collection of eucalypts is only open to the public twice a year, at our biannual open days. Details here: www.dn.com.au/Currency_Cre...
