Old Forest Red Gum (c.1550)

Description:

This old-timer is 450+ years of age and is registered with the National Trust as a tree of significance.... https://trusttrees.org.au/tree/QLD/Calve... Commonly known as forest red gum, red irongum and Queensland blue gum, it's a eucalypt species native to eastern Australia and belongs to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The common names stem from the beautiful rich red of the inner timber, and the blue hues of the outer trunk and branches. A very handsome-looking eucalypt and one that's lucky to have been spared the axe, this is the oldest tree in Ipswich City, and the second largest 'known' forest red gum in the country. This is also an important "food" tree for native animals - koalas eat the leaves, yellow-bellied gliders eat the sap, and the flowers attract birds like honeyeaters and lorikeets. When I see old trees like this, the word "habitat" always springs to mind. I could see several large branch hollows in this tree from various angles (5th photo shows a few), and I guarantee that each of these hollows will have a resident of one species or another during the course of the year. And I wonder how many animals this tree has fed and sheltered during the course of its life?

Habitat:

Spotted just outside the township of Grandchester, QLD, on the banks of Western Creek, a freshwater tributary of the Bremer River, which itself is a tributary of the Brisbane River. Much of the surrounding area has been cleared for grazing livestock.

Notes:

The epitome of indecisiveness - common names for this species: forest red gum, Queensland blue gum, bastard box, blue gum, flooded gum, grey gum, mountain gum, red gum, red ironbark, red irongum, and slaty gum. The third one baffles me, but it's hilarious. Someone was having a bad day :D