Toowoomba residents mourn loss of ancient bottle tree

IT WAS a link to Toowoomba’s indigenous past – but sadly for the old scrub bottle tree on South St at Centenary Heights, time won out in the end.

Tennants of the home, Maxine and Terrance Wells. Large heritage listed tree falls overnight on South Street. Picture: Bev Lacey

IT WAS a link to Toowoomba’s indigenous past – but sadly for the old scrub bottle tree on South St at Centenary Heights, time won out in the end.

The ancient giant, which measured at least 11m high and was thought to be between 200 and 500 years old, came crashing down at about 2.30am yesterday.

Inside their rental home, Maxine Wells asked her husband whether he’d heard something.

But they both agreed it just sounded like another possum jumping and running along the roof, and thought nothing of it.

“It was a soft noise, it wasn’t loud at all,” Mrs Wells said.

But when Mr Wells got up at 6.15am and looked outside, he realised what had happened.

Landlord George McKnight said it was fortunate no one was hurt when the tree came down and that there was only superficial damage to the home.

Owner of the house which had minimal damage, George McKnight. Large heritage listed tree falls overnight on South Street. Picture: Bev Lacey

“It’s a hell of a mess, but the outcome was not catastrophic,” he said, adding that when he received the phone call to tell him the tree had fallen, he couldn’t believe it.

“It wasn’t even windy last night. It just fell over,” he said.

The tree was listed on the National Trust’s significant tree register for its scientific, social and historical significance.

Mr McKnight estimated the tree to be around 500 years old, owing to the markings that had been carved into it by indigenous people before European settlement.