Growing new Bland Oaks

Published on 23 May 2019

I was honoured last week to play a small part in preserving the legacy of our famous Bland Oak tree for generations to come.

Acorns from the historic Bland Oak were collected last month and the Community Nursery Coordinator and I planted them to grow new Bland Oaks.

The seedlings will be grown with plenty of care in hothouses at Council's Community Nursery by nursery volunteers.

I'm eagerly waiting to see the new oaks begin to sprout in the next few weeks. We can't be sure of how many we will be able to grow but we are hopeful of growing about 10 trees. With January being the hottest on record, there was some impact on the number of acorns we were able to collect.

Our iconic Bland Oak was added to the National Register of Significant Trees last year. The oak was planted about 170 years ago by prominent colonial identity, former convict, doctor, inventor and politician Dr William Bland.

At 13 metres high and a 30-metre spread, the Bland Oak is a striking and important icon of our City.

These types of oak can live for about 300 years and at more than halfway through its life, now is the time to ensure we preserve the tree for future generations.

The Bland Oak got its distinctive shape when it was hit by lightning in the 1940s and split. We almost lost it. The tree's unique shape tells a story of hardship, endurance and healing – a story to which many of us can relate.

I will keep residents informed of our progress in growing the new Bland Oaks over the coming weeks and months.