Big Eucalypts of Canberra & Southern Tablelands

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Overview of the Big Eucalypts project

This is a collection of the largest individuals of different Eucalypt tree species (Eucalyptus, Corymbia & Angophora) in Canberra & the Southern Tablelands. Some Eucalypt species are capable of growing to enormous size, and these are referred to as giant Eucalypts. The giant Eucalypts are often given special names due to their local and national significance.

Why are big Eucalypts important? They support a diverse range of other species. Big Eucalypts often contain multiple tree hollows for hollow dependent fauna. More than 300 species of Australian native animals use tree hollows for shelter and breeding, including iconic birds such as black cockatoos. Big Eucalypts are major carbon stores both in wood volume and root biomass.

EUCLID https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/intro/index.html, and Native Eucalypts of Victoria and Tasmania - South-eastern Australia by Dean Nicolle show how large some Eucalypt species can grow. They can help you decide if the Eucalypt you have sighted is large for its species.

Examples of giant Eucalypts: 'Old Blotchy' is a Spotted Gum, Corymbia maculata, on the South Coast of NSW (10.8 m trunk girth), 'Darejo' is an Errinundra Shining Gum, Eucalyptus denticulata, in Gippsland - Victoria (14.4m trunk girth), 'Blue Tier Giant' is a Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus regnans, in Tasmania (19.4m trunk girth), 'Trident Tree' is a Messmate Stringybark, Eucalyptus obliqua, in Tasmania (11.5m trunk girth), 'and Kowen Guardian' is an Apple Box, Eucalyptus bridgesiana, at Kowen Forest (6.3m trunk girth). An ACT Parks & Conservation Service Ranger gave the Kowen Guardian its name because it is adjacent to a population of the endangered Black Gum, Eucalyptus aggregata.

How to contribute

NatureMapr has an automatic timeline function which will allow monitoring of changes in the condition of the big Eucalypts over time. It collates sightings of species in the same location and links them in a timeline.

If you are concerned that the sighting is a sensitive site then check the tick box 'suppress the location from public view' before uploading.

The collection relies on trunk circumference, i.e. trunk girth, because measurement of height requires specialised equipment (clinometer, laser range finder, or LiDAR).

Ensure that trunk girth is measured 1.3m above the ground to avoid the effect of the buttress on the measurement.

If trunk girth is estimated without a tape or string measure then record it is an approx. girth in the notes or comments.

If height has been measured then record the height in the notes or comments along with the measurement method.

To add your big Eucalypt sighting to this project select the star icon at the top right of the sighting and select the Big Eucalypts of Canberra & Southern Tablelands collection name.

If it is a giant sized Eucalypt then check if it already has a special name bestowed upon it by traditional land managers. If not then start a discussion about an appropriate name in the comments.

Big Eucalypts Blog 16th June 2024

To date, the following big Eucalypt species are some of the largest recorded on NatureMapr in Canberra and Southern Tablelands.

The 'Kowen Guardian' is an apple box at Kowen Forest with a trunk girth of 6.3m https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4520987
A giant yellow box with a trunk girth of 5.85 m at Gurubung Dhaura park, Yarralumla. It has special significance to traditional land managers https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4575827
An inland scribbly gum at the Gigerline Nature Reserve with a trunk girth of 6m https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4449604
The 'Bendora Bident' is a big mountain gum in northern Namadgi National Park with a trunk girth of 5.71m and 34.4m tall https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4580739 The largest in the ACT is west of Bendora Dam, but it has not been recorded on NatureMapr. Hopefully the next Ranger to visit the site will record the sighting and measure the trunk girth for NatureMapr.

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