Drouin - Town Centre Tree Walk - West & South Gippsland

Drouin - Town Centre Tree Walk

A level 2.7km walk along footpaths, grassy verges and a rough formed track. The walk shows some of our best loved town trees, mainly exotics but also one giant eucalypt remnant.

Town Centre Tree Walk Map

1. Start at the Bendigo Community Bank car park. Walk west along the shared roadway beside the railway line. The row of old Lombardy Poplars are evident in early Drouin photos from the 1900s. Three large trees towards the west end stood behind the site of the blacksmiths run by Bill Tritschler and then Ernie Edwards.

2. Walk down through Memorial Park and check out the Jungle Fighter on the way. This extraordinary statue is the first depicting an Aussie soldier in jungle uniform: a two thirds replica cast in bronze by sculptor Ray Ewars from Frankston. A copy is located in Australia's War Memorial in Canberra.

3. The four large English Elms at the front of Memorial Park were part of a row of elms planted, as shown in the photo, to beautify Drouin's main street in its early settlement.

4. Walk uphill towards the Anglican Church, cross over to the church nature strip and turn left down Francis Ave behind the church.

5. Walk west along the grass and turn right behind the church. In front you will see a large tree at the corner of a fence. This splendid example of a Eucalyptus sideroxylon or Ironbark, is full of nectar feeding native birds in winter when it is covered in pinky white flowers. Not a remnant tree but very old. The bark of iron arks is highly resistant to fire.

6. Cross over Francis Ave and walk west along the wide grassy verge.

7. Stop and look south across the southerly views of the sewerage ponds, farmland and new residential areas.

8. At the corner is 'The Railway Giant', a Mountain Grey Gum. This 30 m high tree has a trunk girth of 7.75 m and is estimated to be about 250 years old. Look for the many bird hollows.

9. Heading west, walk down the rough formed access track between the railway line and the houses into 'Trainspotters Park'. This has a planted Mountain Ash, a Messmate and a group of planted trees at its west end. Pied Currawongs often nest in these trees. Turn right and head up to Princes Way.

10. At this point take time to look at the Ficifolia trees planted on both sides of Princes Way. These trees were planted in August 1936 by pupils of Drouin State School as part of Arboretum Days. Sixty trees were originally planted and many older Drouin residents can remember planting 'their' tree. In summer this avenue of trees is ablaze with red, salmon, pink and orange colours and is the inspiration for The Ficifolia Festival' held in February each year since 1989... a spectacular entry to Drouin township.

11. Turn right and walk back up the gradual incline into town along Princes Way enjoying the Ficifolias as you go. In flower, the Ficifolias are a favourite of Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets and other nectar feeders.

12. After crossing Albert Rd take note of 'The Mistake Trees; spotted gums planted alongside the Ficifolias. In the 1980s there was a mixup with some young seedlings: instead of Ficifolia seedlings being planted, Spotted Gums were planted. The two species look very similar as seedlings. These Spotted Gums are now mature, 20 m high trees, with smooth bark and spotted grey brown markings. They also form an important part of the food cycle for native birds.

13. On the opposite side of Princes Way in front of the primary school is an avenue of Angophoras. These spectacular, sculptural trees were planted by Leo Boeyen (Superintendent of Parks and Gardens). These trees are about 50 years old and are an iconic landmark of two entrances to Drouin, here and along Main South Rd. They are sometimes called 'Rusty Gums' or 'Sydney Red Gums' because of trunk colour changes as the bark sheds, although they are not strictly a gum.

14. Look out for the summer flowering Jacarandas along the nature strip. Ernie Edwards, the Drouin blacksmith planted the first one at 146 Princes Way.

15. Calodendrum capenses or Cape Chestnuts are another of the significant trees of Drouin. If you look carefully you will have passed a couple on the nature strip as you walked, (No. 140 and house beside the Anglican Church). On the opposite side of the road are three on the nature strip outside the petrol station. These unusual trees bear a prolific display of large pink flowers in summer, sometimes surprising residents with a show before Christmas. The seeds were brought back from South Africa in the 1930s by Roy Everard Ross, the Shire Engineer of Buln Buln Shire for 21 years. He was passionate about trees. The R.E. Ross Trust, set up after his death, provided land acquisition grants enabling 'The Trust for Nature' to purchase large tracts of land for conservation.

16. You can return to your starting point by continuing along Princes Way.