Australian Wood Review – September 2019

90 Australian Wood Review

TIMBER

A Tree Emblem for Australia

Australia has emblems for native animals, flowers, gemstones and more, but not for trees.

Australian members of the International Wood Collectors have a project underway to establish one.

A

ustralia’s coat of arms features an emu and a kangaroo

placed to either side of a shield that shows the symbols

for each of our states. These native animals represent part of

our national identity. Australia’s floral emblem is the golden

wattle and each state and territory has its own floral and

other emblems. While there are other kinds of Australian

emblems there are none for trees.

Inspired by the success which the International Wood

Collectors Society (IWCS) in Canada had some 20 years

ago in establishing a national tree emblem, Australian

IWCS member and dendrologist Eugene Dimitriadis

set about following suit. ‘This is our collective effort to

recognise that the woods we love, collect and work with

once came from trees,’ said Eugene.

Expressions of interest and support for the establishment

of a National Arboreal Emblem were sought and received

from notables such as Dame Elizabeth Murdoch,

Ian Kiernan, Dick Smith of Australian Geographic,

representatives from Greening Australia and several

botanic gardens.