What happened to the doomed Burnside Village tree?
TWO years ago, the 100-year-old river red gum that was enclosed inside Burnside Village was chopped down because it was dying. Its final fate can now be revealed.
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- Burnside Village tree dying, will be removed
- Going, going gone ... tree is finally cut down
- Owners wanted tree removed before redevelopment
THE infamous Burnside Village tree has been transformed into wooden pens, bowls and will soon become sculptures and a bench to ensure the 100-year-old river red gum’s “spirit” lives on.
Centre manager Ric Walker last week said much of the tree’s wood was now ready to be used, two years after it was controversially cut down.
“We’ll ensure it’s put to good use,” Mr Walker said.
“What we do will be a sensitive treatment; sensitive to doing the right thing and being respectful. We want the spirit of the tree to live on.”
The centre owners, the Cohen Group, axed the 18m high, 100-year-old river red gum in August 2013.
The tree had suffered declining health after being enclosed by a glass ceiling as part of a $100 million upgrade of the centre in 2011.
Mr Walker has given some of the wood away to local wood-turners, including one who created 12 souvenir pens.
Other pieces have been dressed and had the centre’s vine-leaf logo attached and some into wooden bowls.
Some of the wood was auctioned for charity and some was turned into firewood.
Mr Walker is now working with artist Domenic Roscioli to create a sculpture and benches, which will feature in the centre.
“There’ll be a couple of pieces out in the next months,” Mr Walker said.
More of the wood may be turned into decorative wall panels, veneers and other treatments in the existing centre and in a new stage of the shopping centre between the existing fashion mall and Greenhill Rd, although the Cohen Group has no firm plans for the redevelopment.
A structure built around the tree will be removed next year.
The glass roof above the tree had a louvre system, which previously allowed air and rain into the area around tree, was altered last year to close it off to the elements.
