Separation Tree, Historic eucalypt tree in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Australia
The Separation Tree is a red river gum located in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, a key site in Victoria's founding history. The tree originally reached about 24 meters in height with a canopy spread of roughly 27 meters and a trunk circumference of about 3.8 meters.
On November 15, 1850, citizens gathered beneath this tree to hear Charles La Trobe announce Victoria's separation from New South Wales. This moment marked the establishment of a new self-governing territory in Australia.
The tree served as a gathering place for local people and remains a symbol of Victoria's founding story in the community's memory. Visitors can sense the significance this location holds in how people understand their region's origins.
The site is located on accessible pathways within the gardens and can be explored alongside other attractions in the area. Information boards explain the context at the location, even though the original tree no longer stands.
Although the original tree died in 2015, a total of 26 saplings were propagated from it and planted across various locations in Victoria. These offspring preserve the genetic legacy and allow visitors to explore the connection to this historic specimen in other places.
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