A sapling once again stands at a spot in Black Hill where a "tree for life" plaque marked an empty space for a number of years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Councillors, including the mayor Cr Daniel Moloney, City of Ballarat workers and members of the Friends of Black Hill Reserve gathered to help plant the new tree on Saturday.
The eucalyptus obliqua - commonly known as a stringybark messmate - was put into the ground exactly 48 years after the original ceremony took place.
In 1973 then mayor Cr John McKay had planted a tree at the spot to mark World Red Cross Day.
The species of tree was not reported at the time. What is certain, however, is that the tree for life did not manage to live particularly long. Archived Google Street View images from November 2009 show it was no longer at the location at the corner of Chisholm Street and Sims Street then. It had possibly been gone much longer.
Neil Huybregts, the president of the Friends of Black Hill Reserve, has long pushed for a new tree to take its place, having spotted the redundant plaque several years ago.
"There was this tree of life plaque where there was no tree. It was a nicely mown lawn. I just thought we could do something about that.
"At first I thought it was tragic they had let something called the tree of life die. But that's what life is about. Life comes and goes."
He said a small-scale social media poll indicated people would prefer an indigenous tree as a replacement.
After the tree was selected from a choice of saplings, including eucalyptus radiata and eucalyptus obliqua grown from seed especially for the purpose, Mr Huybregts enlisted the support of council to help make it happen.
"It's looking pretty good despite a long period where I forgot to water it," he said.
The Courier's Nature Notes columnist Roger Thomas, who helped Mr Huybregts grow the sapling from locally collected seed, said the species was very much a local one.
ALSO IN THE NEWS
"It is very widespread in the Ballarat district, there would have been messmates at Black Hill 200 years ago," he said. "It's truly indigenous. It can be quite tall especially if it's got other trees around it. Out in the open it would tend to spread more."
Asked whether he thought the tree would outlive its predecessor, Mr Thomas said he thought it would. "[Its life expectancy] would be more than 100 years. It is a fairly long-lived tree."
Even it does not, Mr Huybregts remains philosophical. "Hopefully it will last longer than the old one," he said. "If it doesn't, that's how life goes - someone will come along and plant the next one."
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thankyou very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.