Drouin - Trees of Many Nations Walk - West & South Gippsland

Drouin - Trees of Many Nations Walk

A fairly level 2.0km walk with only one short uphill section. This route 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.

Trees of Many Nations Walk Map

1. Start at Porter Memorial Park. This park area has 12 deciduous trees, mostly English Elms and English Oaks planted early in the 1900s. The large flowering gum which is approximately 60 years old was used by the Buln Buln Shire for seed stock.

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

3. At the last oak, walk into the little area known as J.C. Wells Park and walk to Oak St. You will see a Silky Oak about 60 years old, planted in the 1950s. Nectar feeding birds love the flowers.

4. Cross carefully over Main South Rd at the crossing point and walk down the shared roadway past the Old Drouin Butter Factory.

5. Alex Goudie Flora & 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. He had a strong commitment to the improvement of Drouin's environment The park is set around existing natural springs which form the lake and become the headwaters of Gum Scrub Creek crossing under the railway line just east of the park. In July 1988 as part of Australia's Bicentenary, trees were planted to acknowledge the various nationalities of people living in the Buln Buln Shire (cypresses, horse chestnut, golden rain tree, palms etc) and was called 'The Trees of Nations: Stay to the north of the pond and walk through grassy parkland to the east end of the park. The parkland flows into Snake Gully' known as such for the snakes which came in on timber delivered to the old Drouin Butter Factory, and which slithered off down into the gully. This area has about 150 large native eucalypts - Mountain Grey Gums, Messmates, Strzeleckii Gums and Peppermint Gums. The grove of large gums at the end of the gully was once home to koalas in the early 1900s.

6. Walk uphill along Oddy St to Lardner Rd.

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

8. Cross over to the south side. Outside the factory are two Flax-leaf and one Prickly-leaf Paperbark. The largest Flaxleaf, 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.

9. Keep walking down Lardner Rd. The avenue of twenty Plane trees with grey mottled trunks planted in the 1930s has been 'pollarded'. Pollarding involves pruning the upper branches, promoting a dense head of foliage. They have a 'balled' canopy shape in summer.

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

11. Cross over Main South Rd at the crossing point. Turn around and look back to the remnant Mountain Grey Gum, known as the 'Sutcliffe Giant' which sadly died but has been preserved as a habitat tree by the Baw Baw Shire.

12. Walk down this side of the road past the store, back towards your starting point. There are 21 heritage listed mature English Elms planted in a row early in the 1900s, which still provide a pleasant shady avenue.