Towering eucalyptus trees in Thornbury have become the focus of a passionate community campaign to stop their removal.
Local residents, led by Rebecca Hart, are fighting to preserve the twin sugar gums, which have stood for over 100 years.
The two trees, visible across much of the increasingly urbanised Melbourne suburb, are considered natural landmarks.
Hart describes the trees as “majestic” and believes they provide not only visual beauty but also a deep sense of continuity amid rapid development.
With many large trees already gone from Australian urban areas, Hart fears removing these could set a dangerous precedent.
Safety concerns often drive councils to remove big trees, but in Thornbury, it is a proposed redevelopment that has triggered the removal application.
Darebin Council confirmed it had received the removal request and acknowledged growing community concern.
Although the derelict house on the property has been sold, the community worries the trees will be sacrificed for construction.
The council CEO stated that removing significant trees is considered only as a last resort after all alternatives are explored.
Hart advocates for a register of significant trees to protect vital urban greenery, a proposal once raised in 2013 but never implemented.
While the sugar gums meet the legal definition of significant trees, their future remains uncertain until the council completes its 8–12 week assessment.
These rare trees not only define the suburb’s skyline but also serve as crucial habitat for native wildlife including possums, birds, and bees.
Hollow-bearing trees like these are essential for species such as kookaburras, which have disappeared from parts of Melbourne due to habitat loss.
Hart fears that losing the trees would erase a vital piece of Thornbury’s character and further endanger the local ecosystem.
“They’re the biggest, most beautiful thing you can see,” she said, recalling a recent evening when the trees stood silhouetted against a crescent moon.
