Scarred Tree

A large, jagged oval scar runs vertically up the trunk of this river red gum. The bark has curled away from the heartwood, exposing the smooth, weathered interior where Aboriginal people once cut away a section of the living tree. They removed these broad sheets of bark to craft canoes, shields, or containers for food and water. This tree stands as a tangible remnant of the Wurundjeri people who lived and worked along the banks of the Yarra River long before the city grid arrived.