Friday, April 13, 2012

A Part of Buderim's History

The First Poinciana Avenues in Buderim

The Poinciana, Delonix regia, is a native of Madagascar and was introduced to Brisbane in 1864 by the first superintendent of the Botanic Gardens, Walter Hill.
Poincianas have become a symbol of Buderim and this was the aim of the Buderim War Memorial Community Centre. 
In an article in the Courier Mail, July 24th 1948, the chairman of the BWMCC, Mr H. O. Foote said that in future the mountain would be called ‘The Poinciana Drive of Queensland’. 
In January 1949, the Nambour Chronicle reported the first plantings and noted that ‘Buderim residents and visitors can now look forward with a good deal of pleasure to a time when these beautiful trees will provide a most colourful, shady and picturesque avenue’.
The first trees were planted in the main road from the School of Arts, along the top of the mountain, to Mr. George Burnett’s. The Gloucester Road avenue was planted in November 1950, and in some locations it was necessary to blast holes in the surface rock for planting.
The project was initiated by the BWMCC who worked with the Main Roads Commission who authorised the plantings along one mile of road at a cost of £300 [$600].

Some of these original trees remain, but many have been lost or replaced. Development and power lines are two factors that have affected the health of the trees, or led to substantial pruning. However, The Sunshine Coast Council has repeatedly expressed its commitment to maintaining poincianas as a feature of Buderim.

Street trees were not the first poincianas in Buderim. Joyce Short (nee Nelson) recalls that the poincianas at her childhood home, in William Street, were planted by her grandmother c1913, from seeds collected on a visit to Townsville. These large trees are likely to be the oldest in Buderim.

Meredith Walker, Buderim Tree History
References available.

For Buderim history information, email Buderimhistory@gmail.com    




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