New Caledonian, Norfolk Island and Hoop Pines

So my husband and I found ourselves ideally located to explore the origins of the traditions of the Bunya Pine. We were staying at a hotel across from The Conservatorium of Music and The  Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Such a spectacular location, with an even more spectacular view.

Confident of finding scores of Bunya Pines, welcoming English tall ships to the Colony we found instead; 

New Caledonian Pines, Norfolk Island Pines and Hoop Pines.

I could have become disheartened but I remembered that the Bunya Pines are 19th Century signposts, planted by Australian pastoralists. This was Sydney Cove, Cove of the British, and, excusing the ‘terra nullius’ subtext of this plaque, we can see its origins...

The development of the Botanic Gardens predated the pastoralist’s necessity. I will investigate the possibilities of Bunya Pines surrrounding Government House and Admiralty House in the future but for now I will conjecture about the contribution New Caledonian and Norfolk Island Pines could have made to the tall ship building industry.

Despite our fruitless Bunya Pine search, serendipity provided this little guy. 

Bunya Pines

I’m worried that we are losing our Bunya Pines.

Sydney is facing a tidal wave of development and much of our Aboriginal and Colonial artefacts and cultural icons are being drowned in the process.

Many Bunya Pines were planted in the 19th Century at homesteads, places of worship and government business. Once you start looking, it becomes obvious how very important they must have been to colonists as they navigated from town to town on horseback, amongst thick scrub and bush. 

I intend to showcase a variety of Bunya Pines and discuss why they were planted at their location. If the historic home or building is still in situ, I will post a photo of the site as well.