The Bland Oak, or Bland's Oak Tree, is a historic
Southern live oak
''Quercus virginiana'', also known as the southern live oak, is an evergreen oak tree endemic to the Southeastern United States. Though many other species are loosely called live oak, the southern live oak is particularly iconic of the Old South. ...
situated in
Greater Western Sydney,
New South Wales
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, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia, that is approximately over 170 years old, making it one of Sydney's oldest living introduced trees and also one of the largest in the region.
A local significance and a historic symbol of
Fairfield City Council, the
oak tree
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
is included on Fairfield City's
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
.
Description
Planted by former
convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as " prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former conv ...
, politician, farmer and inventor
William Bland
William Bland (5 November 1789 – 21 July 1868) was a transported convict, medical practitioner and surgeon, politician, farmer and inventor in the Colony of New South Wales, Australia.
Early life
Bland was born in London on 5 November 1789 ...
in 1842, the Bland Oak was the largest tree in Australia until it split in two parts after a storm early on New Year Day 1941. Its dissipated wood was assembled and carved into the Mayoral chair, which is currently housed at ''Fairfield City Museum & Gallery'' in
Smithfield. Despite the incident, the oak tree still remains to be the largest of its kind in Sydney, with its interminably sprawling
crowns and prominent
canopy
Canopy may refer to:
Plants
* Canopy (biology), aboveground portion of plant community or crop (including forests)
* Canopy (grape), aboveground portion of grapes
Religion and ceremonies
* Baldachin or canopy of state, typically placed over an ...
, providing decent
shade.
Located in the suburb of
Carramar in ''Oakdene Park'', which lies in Bland Street, the tree is around tall and has a width of more than .
Significance
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone proposed for the tree to be recognised on a
national level after the council accepted its local importance in the ''Local Environmental Plan'' in 2013. Fairfield Council will apply to the
National Trust of Australia to have the tree listed on the ''National Register of Significant Trees''. According to Carbone, “This lonely tree standing in the middle of our city is significant for its age, rarity and unique shape telling a story of our heritage”. Further, he stated “It represents a significant part of our local heritage and is a historic symbol of our city, standing as a landmark beside
Prospect Creek”.
s from the tree were collected in March 2020 and
planted to grow about 10 new "Bland Oaks" throughout the city.
Growing new Bland Oaks
Frank Carbone, Fairfield City Council, 23 May 2019
Gallery
File:BlankOaktree.jpg, Oakdene Park entrance sign with tree in background
File:BlandOakCarramar.jpg, The tree up close
File:Blandoaktree.jpg, Whole view of tree at dusk
See also
* Site of Ficus superba var. henneana tree, a historical tree in Sydney CBD
* List of individual trees
* Fairfield Park Precinct, a large park just to the north of the tree
External links
Oakdene House Foundation
Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone speaking about the tree in situ
References
{{Sydney landmarks, state=collapsed
Individual oak trees
Tourist attractions in Sydney
Individual trees in New South Wales