When Doncaster Road was widened in 1971 Schramm’s Cottage was relocated to its current site and the Bunya Pine was cut down. The timber from the tree was saved and used by Council employees to make a table and four chairs. These are now on display in the Sloyd Room at the Schramm’s Cottage museum.
In 1975 a new Bunya Pine was planted near the relocated cottage by members of the Schramm family including Walter Schramm, a grandson of Max & Kate Schramm.
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| Schramm's Cottage while still located in Doncaster Road in 1971. The verandahs were removed by the council in the 1950s. On the right is the driveway that lead to the Council offices. The cottage was dismantled when Doncaster Road was widened in 1971. The bunya pine on the right hand side was cut down at the same time, but 4 chairs and a table were made from its wood. DP0538 |
Bunya Pine
In the garden of Schramm's Cottage in Doncaster Road grew a fine Bunya Pine, a gift to Max Schramm from Baron von Mueller. |
| Photograph of the tree in 2007. Kay Mack |
The Bunya Bunya Pine was a significant food source for the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, particularly in Queensland.
Max Schramm's tree was cut down for the widening of Doncaster Road in the early 1970s and in 1975 the Schramm family planted another tree to the west of the re-sited cottage.
Source: Kay Mack writing in Facebook. May 2017
Bunya Bunya Pine Drawing. In the garden of Schramm's Cottage in Doncaster Road grew a fine Bunya Bunya Pine, a gift to Max Schramm from Baron von Mueller. The Bunya Bunya Pine was a significant food source for the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, particularly in Queensland. Max Schramm's tree was cut down for the widening of Doncaster Road in the early 1970s and in 1975 the Schramm family planted another tree to the west of the re-sited cottage. 1970 02 DTHS Newsletter
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| Sanding the top of the table made from the timber of the Bunya Pine. DTHS archive uncatalogued negative. |
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| Planting a new Bunya Pine at the present site of Schramm's Cottage in 1975. Walter Schramm and other descendants of Max & Kate Schramm. DTHS archive |
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| The new Bunya Pine in 2007 in the grounds of the Schramm's Cottage Museum. Photograph by Kay Mack. |
Bunya Bunya Pine
A Bunya Bunya Pine has been planted in the grounds of Schramm’s Cottage by Mr. W. Schramm, a grandson of Pastor Schramm and his grandson Grant. Mr. Schramm had ordered the tree from Queensland to take the place of the fine tree that stood in front of the Cottage when it was in Doncaster Road. The grandchildren of Pastor Schramm well remember several trees that stood around the house when it was occupied by the family. Alongside the Bunya Pine was an Oak, on the west were some large Moreton Bay trees and Pine trees sheltered the Barn and stables. By planting these trees some of Schramm’s Cottage's old environment will be renewed.
Source: 1975 11 DTHS Newsletter
The Bunya Pine
At present there are seven Bunya-Bunya trees growing in Doncaster, and all are closely related to the history of the district. Next year, there may be only five, and in a few years, perhaps only three, if any, could be remaining.A fine Bunya-Bunya tree stands on the hill outside the Municipal Offices. It was in the garden of Schramm's Cottage, and its history goes back to the days when Baron von Mueller, the designer of the Royal Botanical Gardens, lived in Doncaster. The new road plans mean that this tree is threatened with removal and destruction.
Shire Offices 1960s Photograph of a painting by Dick Ovenden of Schramm's Cottage, the Bunya pine and the Shire of Doncaster & Templestowe municipal offices. DP0162
In the Eastern Golf Links, east of the Clubhouse, another tree marks the spot where David Mitchell (father of Dame Nellie Melba) built a cottage in 1860.
At the corner of Bayley Grove is yet another tree, that stood in Burkby Lawford*s garden. This beautiful tree has been mutilated to prevent it interfering with the unsightly electric wires. As it is close to the street line, the future of this tree must be uncertain.
1957 - Opening of the new Shire Hall of the then Shire of doncaster and Templestowe. The guests to the opening ceremony are shown with the bunya bunya pine, Schramms Cottage and the State Savings Bank of Victoria in the background. DP0804
John Finger, another of the Waldau settlers, planted two trees near Ruffey's Creek in the area that is now the Municipal Gardens (Victoria Street end).
In 1838, Andrew Petri discovered the Bunya-Bunya tree in Southern Queensland, and found that these trees were highly valued by the Aborigines. The cones were important to them, for they contained seeds 1 1/2 inches, long, which were eaten raw when young and sweet, or ripe seeds were roasted in ashes or hot coals, or even used in damper when flour was obtained from the white settlers.
Every third year a tree would have a bumper crop, and natives came long distances for feasts. The aboriginals called the tree Bon-yi Bon-yi. So Andrew Petri took samples from the trees, and gave them to naturalist J. S. Bidwill, who took them with him to England in 1843.
Schramms Cottage in Doncaster Road in 1970 near the Council Offices. To the right of the photo is the bunya bunya pine that also had to make way for the widening and reconstruction of Doncaster Road in 1971. To the west of Schramms Cottage wad the cream colored brick veneer house owned by Alan Williams the postmaster at Doncaster during the 1950s. DP0831
The tree was thus described at the Kew Gardens, being officially named in London by Sir William Hooker, ARAUCARIA BIDWILLI. The tree which grows to a maximum height of 140 feet abounds in the Bunya Mountains in South East Queensland. Valuable timber obtained from this tree is classed as eminently suitable for furniture, as it is possible for it to be cut into wide planks. It has been used for joinery, cabinet work, shelving, flooring, lathes, butter-boxes, plywoods-and veneers. It is a pale coloured fissile timber.
If lack of appreciation does not prevent the destruction of such a beautiful tree, my suggestion, as before stated to our Society, is that its timber be made into a suitable memorial, such as a seat or piece of furniture appropriately inscribed.
Source: Muriel Green writing in 1970 11 DTHS Newsletter
Schramms Cottage The tram and tram shelter at Schramms Cottage complex, Doncaster East. When this photo was taken, the golden elm and the Bunya Bunya pine only a couple of years old, but now they are fully-grown mature trees. The tram shelter was erected in or about the year 1980. DP0866
Schramms Museum Complex Bunya Tree 2018
Schramms Museum Complex Bunya Tree Base with Sign: Schramms Museum Complex Bunya Tree Base with Sign. Text of Sign: "A native of South East Queensland this tree is noted for its sharp thorn like bark and leaves. Large pine cones grow at the top of the tree on a 3 year cycle and when ripe weighing 4 Kg fall to the ground during March. 7 large cones fell in 2010 but only 2 in 2013 possibly due to the long drought. This tree was planted here in 1974 as shown in the photograph below by the great grandson (on right) and great-great grandson (in centre) of Max and Kate Schramm. A similar Bunya Pine grew in the original garden of Schramm’s Cottage when situated off Doncaster Road, where the Manningham City Council buildings stand today."
Tree 82, Bunya Bunya Pine (Auracaria Bidwillii – in the centre of the image) located on Doncaster Road, opposite (to the south) of the stables Republished in: Manningham Heritage Overlay Amendment - Heritage Assessment Tullamore C101 - Lovell Chen May2014 - f21 p34
The Bunya Bunya Pine
When Max Schramm built Schramm's Cottage, Baron von Muller, who was a friend of Schramm, gave him a Bunya Pine. William Schramm, a grandson of Max, and also his grandson Grant, orderd a Bunya Pine from Queensland and planted it in the grounds of the Cottage to replace the pine that stood outside the Cottage when it was in Doncaster Road.
The grand children of Pastor Schramm well remember several trees that stood around the house when it was occupied by the family. Alongside the Bunya Pine was an Oak, on the west were some Morton Bay Fig trees that sheltered Schramm's barn. Willow trees hung over the fence on Doncaster Road. A seat was placed there so that people could sit in their shade on hot days
Source: 1996 03 DTHS Newsletter
The Bunya Pine
In 1970 seven Bunya Pines, grew in Doncaster. Since men three of these have disappeared but four new ones have been planted.
A fine Bunya stood outside the Council Offices. Its history went back to the 1860’s and was a gift to Max Schramm from Baron von Mueller, thee Director of the Botanical Gardens. This tree went when Doncaster Road was widened, the timber was saved by the council and staff at the Depot milled the timber to make a table and chairs for Schramm's Cottage. At the comer of Bayley Grove a Bunya grew in Burkby Lawford’s garden. The tree is no longer there. Among the fine collection of trees planted by Frederick Lawford at his home in Church Road was another Bunya Pine. It was cut down when the land was subdivided.
In the Eastern Golf Links, east of the club house, another tree marks the site where David Mitchell built a house for one of his farms in 1860. At the comer of Waldau Court and Victoria Street the Thiele family planted a tree and John Finger planted two others in Ruffey Park, north of the creek. These had been each side of a gate connecting the. orchard and a horse paddock. To celebrate a Thiele family reunion two Bunyas were planted in Ruffey Park near Friedensruh and Eric Collyer planted two more in the land of Friedensruh. In 1975 the grandson of Max Schramm, assisted by his own grandson, planted the Bunya Pine in Schramm's Cottage, on the west lawn, to replace the tree that stood in front of the cottage in Doncaster Road.
The Bunya Pine was discovered in 1838 by Andrew Petri in Southern Queensland. The Aborigines highly valued the trees and looked m the seeds as a delicacy. The seeds, extracted from the cones, about 40 miles long were eaten raw when young and fresh, or ripe seeds were roasted in ashes or hot coals, or even cooked in damper when they had flour.
Every third year a tree would have a bumper crop and natives came long distances for feasts. The Aboriginals called the tree Bon-yi Bonyi. So Petri took samples from the trees and gave them to J.S. Bidwil a naturalist who took them to England. The tree was described at the Kew Gardens, being officially named by Sir William Hooker, Araucaria bidwilli. The trees that grow to a maximum height of 140 feet abound in the Bunya Mountains in South East Queensland.
The timber obtained from the tree is classed as eminently suitable for furniture as it is possible for it to be cut into wide planks. It has been used for joinery, cabinet work, shelving, flooring, lathes, plywoods and veneers. It is a pale coloured fissle timber.
Irvine Green writing in 1993 09 DTHS Newsletter
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