Following the terrible death of Billy Bombax, the genial giant tree of North Queensland sustainability , cut down in Townsville's Anderson Botanic Gardens , trees in an historic waterfront park in memory of The Tree of Knowledge are ailing , seem likely to get the chop .
The worn memorial plaque on the hunk of granite at the front of the above photograph , crook looking trees in the background , expresses the hope that trees planted by the Probus Club to replace The Tree of Knowledge in 1986 would help all who visit achieve enlightenment about the needs of mankind. Nowadays, a visitor might first feel it is another neglected important Townsville site, ask what happened to the trees that were planted by Probus and what the hell is happening to vegetation all over the nation .
When our waterfront scribe visited the site, not far from the old post office with its malfunctioning clock , he found sick looking trees , palm fronds on the ground , assorted litter , cigarette packets . Over the years, many large public meetings were held around the original tree (below) as part of Townsville's industrial and trade union activities .
On Magnetic Island, a longtime resident close to nature says many trees appear to be dead or badly stressed . This blog reported the recent removal of trees along the Nelly Bay foreshore . There are more evident dead trees along the beach , this one near the snorkel trail sign. Another one nearby .
FLOTSAM NOTE :
While giving The Tree of Knowledge site an extensive forensic going over , the Shipping Reporter ,with a vivid imagination, found what he likes to think is a fossilised part (see below ) of the original tree . It has been added to his cluttered den next to a gnarled lump of mangrove root that looks like a decapitated human head, not far from the headless ceramic bulldog. A veritable house of horrors .
