A photograph of the Cape Chestnut tree on the corner of Sinclair St and Princes Way, Drouin in 1989.
The tree looks very similar today, except for a "flat top" from necessary pruning due to overhead powerlines.
The story of the trees begins with Roy Everard Ross who was the shire engineer and building surveyor for the Buln Buln Shire for 21 years, between 1925 to 1946.
During this time, on one of his trips overseas to South Africa in the 1930s, he brought back seed of Cape Chestnut trees or Calodendrum Capenses. The seeds were cultivated and the young trees were planted along the road reserves of the Princes Hwy at Sinclair St at the west entrance to the Drouin CBD.
In the early 1960s, the trees were very sick. Leo Boeyen, who had just started as the first superintendent of Buln Buln Shire parks and gardens had to inject them with iron. He carefully weighed this out at Wadhams Pharmacy to get the correct dosage.
And yes, they all survived and thrived.
One of these Cape Chestnuts was moved - at great effort - in the late 1960s to make way for a driveway to a new petrol station. It was moved to Lampard Rd where the Buln Buln Shire offices were then located. It grew and flourished, despite being left behind when the council offices were relocated to what is today Civic Park.
Sadly, because this tree had no protection overlay, it was chopped down in July 2015.
These Cape Chestnuts bear prolific pink flowers in summer, covering the entire crown of the trees to make a spectacular display as people drive into Drouin's shopping centre. They were on the State Register during the years of the Buln Buln Shire.
Interestingly, Roy Everard Ross also became the shire engineer for Warragul and Narracan shires. He moved to Melbourne in 1959 and went on to become a wealthy property investor and owner of Bayview Quarries.
Ross was passionate about trees and one of his great interests was conservation. As part of the fund he set up, "The Trust for Nature" conservation program allows for large tracts of private land to be purchased for public use.
Photograph and information courtesy of Stories of Drouin, a cooperative oral history project between The Committee for Drouin, the Drouin History Group and 3BBR FM to preserve local stories.
Hear the story of Drouin's trees, "If Only the Trees Could Talk" and Leo Boeyen on storiesofdrouin.com.au.