Schramm’s Cottage Bunya Pine Tree
Schramm’s Cottage was originally located in Doncaster Road, Doncaster, roughly where the MC2 building now stands. Growing in the garden of the cottage was a Bunya Pine tree, a gift from Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, Victorian Government Botanist.
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 Tree was planted near the relocated cottage by members of the Schramm family including Walter Schramm, a grandson of Max & Kate Schramm.
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
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.
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.
Among the fine collection of trees in front of Mr. Everard Thiele's house in Church Road is another Bunya-Bunya tree. Here, then, is a unique collection of trees, many actually propagated by Mr. Frederick Thiele in the 1890s. Frederick Thiele also planted a Bunya-Bunya tree at the entrance to his father's property, now Waldau Court. unfortunately, this tree is outside the line of pegs for the proposed widening of Victoria Street.
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.
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
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 Tree 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 Tree
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 Tree
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 Tree
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.
Source: Irvine Green writing in 1993-09 DTHS Newsletter
Need research: Are any of the identified Bunya trees still living in Doncaster Templestowe ??
The Bunya Pine Tree
The most imposing of our specimen trees at Schramm's Cottage is the statuesque Bunya pine growing on the lawn near the entrance to the Waldau cemetery.
The story of the Bunyabunya is a fascinating one. At one time, the Bunya pine covered most of eastern Australia, but nowadays it is a rarity. During the 1860's many of these pines were felled for their first class timber.
The tree was highly prized by the aborigines for the huge cones, produced by the tree in late summer. They would walk many kilometres to the 1100-metre high Bunya Mountains, 160 metres northwest of the present Brisbane, for the gathering of the nuts they called bonye bonye. Young men would climb the trees, using toeholds on the trunk and knock down the cones when they were ripe. As they fall, the cones break up and the aborigines would cook and eat the creamy flesh. These gatherings occurred about every three years when the tree would have a bumper crop with some trees producing up to 50 cones. They can grow as large as a football and weigh up to 6 kilograms. It can be a dangerous exercise wandering in a bunya forest when the cones are ripe and ready to fall.
An interesting sideline of this yearly festival and gathering of the tribes was the comment of one of Ludvig Leichhardt's exploratory team in 1846, who noticed a group of Aboriginal people walking south. He said that the tribe was on its way to the Bunya Mountains for the harvesting of the Bunya fruit.
The last of the festivals was held in 1875. Later the felling of many of the pines and the encroachment of European settlement put an end to these festivals.
The first white man to record the tree was Moreton Bay's Superintendent of Works, Andrew Petrie in the 1830's. He took specimens from the tree, which was taken by botanist John Bidwell to the Kew Gardens in England for i entification and examination. The arborist described the pine and officially named it Araucaria Bidwelli. Actually, it is not a pine at all, being a member of the Araucariacea family.
In 1970, the late Muriel Green, wife of our past president, wrote an article about the Bunya pines growing in the district at that time. I thought it might be of interest to investigate the number of pines in 2014, to compare with the past. The seven existing pines at the time had a close connection with the history of Doncaster.
One stood outside the Municipal Offices, its history being connected with Baron von Mueller, who designed Melbourne Botanic Gardens. This was felled during the widening of Doncaster Road, at the same time as Schramm's Cottage was in the process of removal. As a permanent reminder of that tree, a craftsman built the table and chairs at present in the Sloyd room.
The second tree grew on the eastern side of the clubhouse of the Eastern Golf Club in Doncaster Road. This marks the spot where Dame Nellie Melba's father, David Mitchell built a cottage in the 1860's. This still grows in its original position.
The third tree stood in Bayley Grove, off Doncaster Road in the garden of Burkby Lawford's house. Even in the 1970's this tree had parts cut off to make way for electric wires. This pine was later cut down and removed as the street line altered.
The fourth tree, which stood in the garden of Everard Thiele's house in Church Road, has also been cut down.
The fifth Bunya pine was planted by Frederick Thiele at the entrance to Waldau Court near Friedensruh. This also has been felled for the widening of Victoria Street.
The other two trees still grow in Ruffey Lake Park. John Finger planted these at the entrance to his home. They don't seem like a pair, as one was damaged soon after planting. More details are available on the plaque placed near the site in Ruffey Lake Park.
Thus, of the seven, which existed in 1970, only three remain, but there is good news regarding the pines presently growing in the area.
When Schramm's Cottage was moved to Victorian Street, a new Bunya pine was planted in the rear garden in front of the Waldau Cemetery. This was in 1975, and it is now a splendid specimen, one of the highlights of our garden.
Eric Collyer planted a Bunya pine in the side garden of Friedensruh - facing George Street and this is still growing well, and in 1983, he planted two more in the Municipal Gardens near the house to commemorate a Thiele family celebration. There is another, smaller pine growing in the grounds of the Eastern Golf Club to add to the old one already there. A stand of young Bunya-Bunya pines has been planted in Refuge Close off Anderson's Creek Road near Blackburn Road, East Doncaster.
So we can conclude that there are actually more Bunya pines growing in our district than there were in 1970, so the fear that we may lose them all, has no foundation. It is very satisfying that people are interested in preserving this rare and beautiful tree in Manningham and we hope that they will continue to thrive.
Does anyone know of any other Bunya pines planted in Doncaster? If so, they should be noted and we would be interested to learn more about them.
Source: 2014-06 DTHS Newsletter
Bunya Pine Tree - Nov 2025
Bunya Bunya Pine Tree (Araucaria Bidwillii)
This tree was planted in the west lawn between Schramm’s Cottage and the Waldau Cemetery in 1974 as the cottage was being rebuilt after it was moved from its original site. A similar tree grew in the garden when the cottage was situated off Doncaster Road, where the Manningham City Council building stands today. The present tree commemorates this and was given and planted by Max & Kate Schramm’s great-grandson Walter Schramm & great-great-grandson Grant Schramm.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 three-year cycle but are difficult to see from ground level. The cones when ripe each weigh 4 kg and fall to the ground with a loud crash - exploding. The cones are next due to fall from this tree in March 2019. Keep well clear of the tree at this time.
Source: 2018-12 DTHS Newsletter
Araucaria bidwillii - Bunya pine
Conservation status: Least Concern
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Gymnospermae
Division: Pinophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Araucariales
Family: Araucariaceae
Genus: Araucaria
Section: A. sect. Bunya
Species: A. bidwillii
Binomial name: Araucaria bidwillii
Araucaria bidwillii, commonly known as the bunya pine (/ˈbʌnjə/),[4] banya[5] or bunya-bunya, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the family Araucariaceae which is endemic to Australia. Its natural range is southeast Queensland with two very small, disjunct populations in northeast Queensland's World Heritage listed Wet Tropics. There are many planted specimens on the Atherton Tableland, in New South Wales, and around the Perth metropolitan area, and it has also been widely planted in other parts of the world. They are very tall trees – the tallest living individual is in Bunya Mountains National Park and was reported by Robert Van Pelt in January 2003 to be 51.5 m (169 ft) in height.
Description
Araucaria bidwillii will grow to a height of 50 m (160 ft) with a single unbranched trunk up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) diameter, which has dark brown or black flaky bark.[6][7][8][9] The branches are produced in whorls at regular intervals along the trunk, with leaf-bearing branchlets crowded at their ends.[8] The branches are held more or less horizontally – those towards the top of the trunk may be somewhat ascending, those on the lowest section of the trunk may be somewhat drooping. This arrangement gives the tree a very distinctive egg-shaped silhouette.
The leaves are small and rigid with a sharp tip which can easily penetrate the skin.[10] They are narrowly triangular, broad at the base and sessile (without a stem).[6][10] They measure up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long by 1 cm (0.4 in) wide with fine longitudinal venation, glossy green above and paler underneath.[6][10][9] The leaf arrangement is both distichous and decussate (referred to as secondarily distichous) – that is, one pair of leaves are produced on the twig opposite each other, and the next pair above is rotated around the twig 90° to them, and so on.[6]
The cones are terminal, the male (or pollen) cone is a spike up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long which matures around October to November.[7][8][9][10] The female (or seed) cone is much larger, reaching up to 30 cm (12 in) long and 20 cm (7.9 in) wide, which is roughly equivalent to a rugby ball.[7][8][9][10] At maturity, which occurs from December through to March,[7][8] female cones are green with 50–100 pointed segments, each of which encloses a seed, and they can weigh up to 10 kg.[8][9][11][12] Both seed and pollen cones are some of the largest of all conifer species.[13]
The edible seeds, known as bunya nuts, measure between 2.5 cm (1.0 in) and 5 cm (2.0 in) long and are ovoid to long-elliptic.[6][7][8][10]
Architecture
In the 1970s, botanists Hallé, Oldeman and Tomlinson studied the growth patterns of tropical trees and described a set of 23 "architectural models", named after various botanists, which can be seen as different growth strategy to occupy space.[14] Araucaria bidwillii, like many species from the Araucariaceae family and the fir genus, changes its structural model over time. Initially its follows Massart's model (a single, upright trunk that grows steadily and produces neat, horizontal layers of branches at regular intervals)[14]: 191 and gradually changes to Rauh's model (like Massart's, but here each branch grows structurally similar to the trunk, with smaller branches branching off of it.)[14]: 221
Phenology
The trees' pollen cones appear in April and mature in September or October.[15] The cones require fifteen months to mature,[16] and the cones fall 17 to 18 months after pollination in late January to early March from the coast to the current Bunya Mountains. When there is heavy rainfall or drought, pollination may vary.[17]
Taxonomy
The species was described by the English botanist William Jackson Hooker in 1843, based on material collected in the "Mount Brisbane range of hills, 70 miles N.W. of Moreton Bay" by John Carne Bidwill in 1842.[3][18]: 498 Hooker states in his paper that Bidwill took "not only branches and cones and male flowers, but also a healthy young living plant" to England where Hooker set about describing the new species, and his paper (titled "Figure and description of a new species of Araucaria from Moreton Bay, New Holland") was published in his own journal London Journal of Botany.[18]: 498
Etymology
The genus name Araucaria is taken from the Spanish word Araucanía, the name of the area in Chile where the first species of this genus originated, and/or Araucanos, the Spanish word for the original inhabitants of the area.[7][9] Hooker coined the species epithet in honour of Bidwill, for his efforts in collecting specimens and bringing them to him.[18]: 502
Vernacular names
In various Australian Aboriginal languages, this tree is known as banya (anglicised as bunya), bonye, bon-yi[19] (in Gubbi Gubbi), bunyi or bunya-bunya, leading to its common name 'bunya pine'.[20] It is also less-known as the false monkey puzzle tree (not to be confused with Araucaria araucana, the monkey puzzle tree).[21][22]
Evolution
The bunya pine is a member of the Section Bunya of the genus Araucaria, and is the sole extant species within it.[8][23] This section is thought to have been most widespread in the Mesozoic – fossils from the Jurassic period with cone morphology similar to A. bidwillii have been found in the UK (Araucaria sphaerocarpa) and South America (Araucaria mirabilis)[13]
Distribution
At the start of British occupation, A. bidwillii was abundant in southern Queensland, occurring in large groves or sprinkled regularly as an emergent species throughout other forest types on the upper Stanley and Brisbane Rivers, Sunshine Coast hinterland (especially the Blackall Range and Maleny), and also towards and on the Bunya Mountains.
Two more natural, but very small and very isolated, populations of the species occur approximately 1,500 km (930 mi) to the north, in the wet tropics region of northeastern Queensland – one close to Cannabullen Falls on the Atherton Tableland, and the other in the Mount Lewis National Park.[24][10]
Today, the southeast Queensland populations exist as very small groves or single trees in its former range, except on and near the Bunya Mountains, where it is still fairly prolific, while the populations in north Queensland remain stable.[25]
The limited distribution of A. bidwillii in Australia is in part due to poor seed dispersal, and also the drying out of the Australian continent over the millennia, leading to a reduction of areas with suitable climatic zones for rainforest.[26]
Ecology
A variety of birds and animals, including sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita), short-eared possums (Trichosurus caninus), fawn-footed melomys (Melomys cervinipes), and wallabies are known to eat the seeds.[11][12][27] The cockatoos are also a dispersal agent as they will carry seeds to a distant perch to eat, but may drop them on the way.[27]
The suggestion that extinct large animals (initially dinosaurs and later the Australian megafauna) may have been dispersers for the bunya is reasonable, given the size of the seeds and their energy content, but difficult to confirm given the incompleteness of the fossil record for coprolites.[citation needed]
A. bidwillii has an unusual cryptogeal seed germination in which the seeds develop to form an underground tuber from which the aerial shoot later emerges. The actual emergence of the seed is then known to occur over several years presumably as a strategy to allow the seedlings to emerge under optimum climatic conditions or, it has been suggested, to avoid fire. This erratic germination has been one of the main problems in silviculture of the species.[28]
A problem in small forestry plantations of the bunya pine in Southeast Queensland is the introduction of red deer (Cervus elaphus). Unlike possums and rodents, the deer eat bunya cones while still intact, preventing their dispersal.[29]
Cultural significance
The bunya, bonye, bunyi, bunya-bunya or banya tree produces edible kernels. The ripe cones fall to the ground. Each segment contains a kernel in a tough protective shell, which will split when boiled or put in a fire. The flavour of the kernel is often compared to a chestnut, although it is less intense in terms of aroma and flavour. The savory flavour and aroma is also comparable to cooked potato.[30]
The cones were a very important food source for native Australians – each Aboriginal family would own a group of trees and these would be passed down from generation to generation.[31] This is said to be the only case of hereditary personal property owned by the Aboriginal people.[citation needed]
After the cones had fallen and the fruit was ripe, a large festival harvest would sometimes occur, between two and seven years apart. The people of the region would set aside differences and gather in the Bon-yi Mountains (Bunya Mountains) to feast on the kernels. The local people, who were bound by custodial obligations and rights, sent out messengers to invite people from hundreds of kilometres to meet at specific sites. The meetings involved Aboriginal ceremonies, dispute settlements and fights, marriage arrangements and the trading of goods.[32]
In what was probably Australia's largest Indigenous event,[citation needed] diverse tribes – up to thousands of people – once travelled great distances (from as far as Charleville, Bundaberg, Dubbo and Grafton) to the gatherings. They stayed for months, to celebrate and feast on the bunya nut. The bunya gatherings were an armistice accompanied by much trade exchange, and discussions and negotiations over marriage and regional issues. Due to the sacred status of the bunyas, some tribes would not camp amongst these trees. Also in some regions, the tree was never to be cut.[5][33]
Representatives of many different groups from across southern Queensland and northern New South Wales would meet to discuss important issues relating to the environment, social relationships, politics and The Dreaming lore, feasting and sharing dance ceremonies. Many conflicts would be settled at this event, and consequences for breaches of laws were discussed.[34]
A Bunya festival was recorded by Thomas Petrie (1831–1910), who went with the Aboriginal people of Brisbane at the age of 14 to the festival at the Bunya Range (now the Blackall Range in the hinterland area of the Sunshine Coast). His daughter, Constance Petrie, put down his stories in which he said that the trees fruited at three-year intervals.[35][36] The three-year interval may not be correct. Ludwig Leichhardt wrote in 1844 of his expedition to the Bunya feast.[37]
In 1842, the government of what was then the Colony of New South Wales published a notice in the N.S.W. Government Gazette which prohibited settlers from occupying land or cutting timber within a proclaimed "Bunya district". This may have been in recognition of the local Aboriginal people's close association with these trees,[38] or their "fierce protection" of them.[32] Regardless, the proclamation was repealed in 1860 in one of the first acts of the government of the newly created Colony of Queensland.[38] The Aboriginal people were eventually driven out of the forests and the festivals ceased.[32] The forests were felled for timber and cleared to make way for cultivation.[32]
Today
Indigenous groups such as the Wakawaka, Githabul, Kabi Kabi, Jarowair, Goreng goreng, Butchulla, Quandamooka, Baruŋgam, Yiman and Wulili have continued cultural and spiritual connections to the Bunya Mountains to this day. A number of strategies including the use of traditional ecological knowledge have been incorporated into the current management practices of the national park and conservation reserves with the Bunya Murri Ranger project currently operating in the mountains.[39][40]
Uses
Indigenous Australians eat the nut of the bunya tree (known as yenggi Aboriginal pronunciation: [jeŋgi][5]) both raw and cooked, and also in its immature form. Traditionally, the nuts were additionally ground and made into a paste, which was eaten directly or cooked in hot coals to make bread called manu. The nuts were also stored in the mud of running creeks, and eaten in a fermented state.[5] This was considered a delicacy.
Apart from consuming the nuts, Indigenous Australians ate bunya shoots, and utilised the tree's bark as kindling.
Bunya nuts are still sold as a regular food item in grocery stalls and street-side stalls around rural southern Queensland. Some farmers in the Wide Bay/ Sunshine Coast regions have experimented with growing bunya trees commercially for their nuts and timber.
The bunya nut has become popularised as a 'bushfood' by indigenous foods enthusiasts. A huge variety of home-invented recipes now exists for the bunya nut; from pancakes, biscuits and breads, to casseroles, to 'bunya nut pesto' or hoummus. The nut is considered nutritious, with a unique flavour similar to starchy potato and chestnut.
Bunya pine guitar body
When the nuts are boiled in water, the water turns red, making a flavoursome tea.
The nutritional content of the bunya nut is: 40% water, 40% complex carbohydrates, 9% protein, 2% fat, 0.2% potassium, 0.06% magnesium. It is also gluten free, making bunya nut flour a substitute for people with gluten intolerance.
The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia records that "The cones shed their seeds, which are two to two and a-half inches long by three-quarters of an inch broad; they are sweet before being perfectly ripe, and after that resemble roasted chestnuts in taste."[41]
Timber
Bunya timber was and is still highly valued as "tonewood" for stringed instruments' sound boards since the first European settlers. Since the mid-1990s, the Australian company Maton has used bunya for the soundboards of its BG808CL Performer acoustic guitars. The Cole Clark company (also Australian) uses bunya for the majority of its acoustic guitar soundboards. The timber is valued by cabinet makers and woodworkers, and has been used for that purpose for over a century.
Cultivation
A pair of bunya seedlings showing the change in leaf colour. The cotyledons are hypogeal, remaining below the ground.
Bunya nuts are slow to germinate. A set of 12 seeds sown in Melbourne took an average of about six months to germinate (with the first germinating in three months) and only developed roots after one year.[citation needed] The first leaves form a rosette and are dark brown.[citation needed] The leaves only turn green once the first stem branch occurs.[citation needed] Unlike the mature leaves, the young leaves are relatively soft.[citation needed] As the leaves age they become very hard and sharp.[citation needed] Cuttings can be successful, though they must be taken from erect growing shoots, as cuttings from side shoots will not grow upright.[citation needed]
In the highly variable Australian climate, the varied timing of emergence of the seedlings maximises the possibility of at least successful replacement of the parent tree. A test of germination was carried out by Smith starting in 1999.[42] Seeds were extracted from two mature cones collected from the same tree, a cultivated specimen at Petrie, just north of Brisbane (originally the homestead of Thomas Petrie, the son of the first European to report the species). One hundred apparently full seeds were selected and planted into 30 cm by 12 cm plastic tubes commercially filled with sterile potting mix in early February 1999. These were then placed in a shaded area and watered weekly. Four tubes were lost due to being knocked over. Of a total of 100 seeds placed, 87 germinated. The tubes were checked monthly for emergence over three years. Of these seeds, 55 emerged from April to December 1999; 32 emerged from January to September in 2000, one seed emerged in January 2001, and the last appeared in February 2001.[42]
Once established, bunyas are quite hardy and they can be grown as far south as Hobart in Australia (42° S) and Christchurch in New Zealand (43° S)[43] and (at least) as far north as Sacramento in California (38° N)[44] and Coimbra (in the botanical garden) and even in Dublin area in Ireland (53ºN) in a microclimate protected from arctic winds and moderated by the Gulf Stream.[45] They will reach a height of 35 to 40 metres, and live for about 500 years.
Dangers
The cones of the bunya pine are some of the largest produced by the conifer family. The cones—which can grow to as much as 35 centimetres (14 in) in diameter when mature, and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb)—can drop on unsuspecting passersby from heights of 40 metres (130 ft) or more.[46] The falling cones are capable of causing severe injuries.[47][48] Caution is also advised when parking under these trees as the falling cones can damage vehicles.[49]
In popular culture
A specimen of Araucaria bidwillii in East Los Angeles, California, is featured in Taylor Hackford's 1993 film Blood In Blood Out as a touchstone for the main characters.[50] The tree, known as "El Pino" ("the pine" in Spanish), has become famous from this association, and is visited by international fans of the film.[50] A late-2020 prank claiming the tree would be cut down incited a brief panic locally.[51]
References
- Thomas, P. (2011). "Araucaria bidwillii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011 e.T42195A10660714. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T42195A10660714.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- "Species profile—Araucaria bidwillii". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- "Araucaria bidwillii". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- Stevenson, Angus; Waite, Maurice, eds. (18 August 2011). "bunya". Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Luxury ed.). p. 186. ISBN 978-0-19-960111-0.
- Tindale, Norman B. (1974). Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names. Canberra: Australian National University Press. pp. 80, 124–6. ISBN 0-7081-0741-9.
- Hill, K.D. (2022). "Araucaria bidwillii". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- Cooper, Wendy; Cooper, William T. (June 2004). Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia: Nokomis Editions. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-9581742-1-3.
- "Araucaria bidwillii (Bunya pine) description". The Gymnosperm Database. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- "Araucaria bidwillii". anpsa.org.au. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Araucaria bidwillii". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- "Bunya Mountains National Park". Parks and forests, Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- Courtney, Pip (11 May 2018). "Bunya nuts: The Australian bush food that is growing in popularity". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- Hernandez-Castillo, Genaro R.; Stockey, Ruth A. (2002). "Palaeobotany of the Bunya Pine". Queensland Review. 9 (2): 25–30. doi:10.1017/S1321816600002920. S2CID 142881356. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- Hallé, Francis; Oldeman, Roelof A. A.; Tomlinson, P. B.; Tomlinson, P. B. (1978). Tropical trees and forests: an architectural analysis. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-08494-5.
- The Gymnosperm Database https://www.conifers.org/ar/Araucaria_bidwillii.php
- Allen, Richard; Baker, Kimbal (2009). Australia's Remarkable Trees. Melbourne: Miegunyah Press. pp. 23–27.
- Australian Journal of Botany 70(8) p 515 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT22043 2022
- Hooker, W.J. (1843). "Figure and description of a new species of Araucaria from Moreton Bay, New Holland". London Journal of Botany. 2. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- Petrie, Constance Campbell (1837). "Chapter II". Tom Petrie's Reminiscences of Early Queensland. Brisbane: Watson Ferguson & Co.
- Queensland Government Species profile — Araucaria bidwillii (bunya pine)https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species-search/details/?id=13706
- "False monkey puzzle". Stuff. From Waikato Times. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- "Araucaria bidwillii Bunya-Bunya, Monkey Puzzle Tree, False Monkey Puzzle PFAF Plant Database". Plants for a future. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- "Araucaria bidwillii / Bunya pine". American Conifer Society. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- "Conifer Database in Catalogue of Life". Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- "Araucaria bidwillii". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- Falster, Georgina M.; Wright, Nicky M.; Abram, Nerilie J.; Ukkola, Anna M.; Henley, Benjamin J. (27 March 2024). "Potential for historically unprecedented Australian droughts from natural variability and climate change". Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 28 (6): 1383–1401. Bibcode:2024HESS...28.1383F. doi:10.5194/hess-28-1383-2024 – via European Geosciences Union.
- Tella, José L.; Blanco, Guillermo; Dénes, Francisco V.; Hiraldo, Fernando (2019). "Overlooked Parrot Seed Dispersal in Australia and South America: Insights on the Evolution of Dispersal Syndromes and Seed Size in Araucaria Trees". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7 82. Bibcode:2019FrEEv...7...82T. doi:10.3389/fevo.2019.00082. hdl:10261/189985.
- Smith, Ian R.; Butler, Don (November 2002). "The Bunya in Queensland's Forests". Queensland Review. 9 (2): 31–38. doi:10.1017/S1321816600002932. ISSN 1321-8166.
- State of Queensland, 2013, Feral deer management strategy 2013–18, p. 7
- Moura Nadolny, Jaqueline; Best, Odette; Hassall, Emma; Shewan, Heather M.; Olarte Mantilla, Sandra M.; Stokes, Jason R.; Smyth, Heather E. (20 May 2022). "Sensory properties of Australian bunya nuts". Journal of Food Science. 87 (6): 1750–3841.16184. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.16184. ISSN 0022-1147. PMC 9325081. PMID 35593256.
- "Araucaria bidwillii - Hook". Plants for a Future. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- Anna Haebich (2005), Assimilating the bunya forests (PDF), retrieved 3 May 2023
- Jerome, P., 2002. Boobarran Ngummin: the Bunya Mountains. [Opening address to the Bunya Symposium (2002: Griffith University).].
- Aboriginal Ceremonies (PDF) (Report). Resource: Indigenous Perspectives: Res008. Queensland Government and Queensland Studies Authority. February 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- CC-BY license icon This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Bountiful bunyas : a charismatic tree with a fascinating history (11 October 2021) published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 31 May 2022.
- "Bunya Feast". anpsa.org.au. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- "Ludwig Leichhardt (on the bushfood trail)". Australian Bushfoods Magazine (1). 1997. ISSN 1447-0489. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- E. G. Heap (1965). "In the Wake of the Raftsmen: A Survey of Early Settlement in the Maroochy District up to the Passing of Macalister's Act (1868) [Part I]" (PDF). Queensland Heritage. 1 (3): 3–16.
- Markwell Consulting, 2010. Bonye Buru Booburrgan Ngmmunge – Bunya Mountains Aboriginal Aspirations and Caring for Country Plan (Plan).
- Queensland Government, 2012. Bunya Mountains National Park Management Statement 2012 (Management Plan). Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing.
- Maiden, J. H. (1889). The Useful Native Plants of Australia, (Including Tasmania). Sydney: The Technological Museum of New South Wales. p. 7. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
- Smith, Ian R.; Butler, Don (2009), "The Bunya Pine – the ecology of Australia's other 'Living Fossil' Araucarian – Dandabah Area – Bunya Mountains, South East Queensland, Australia.", in Bieleski, R. L.; Wilcox, M. D. (eds.), Araucariacea: proceedings of the 2002 Araucariaceae Symposium, Araucaria-Agathis-Wollemia, International Dendrology Society, pp. 287–298, ISBN 978-0-473-15226-0, OCLC 614167748
- "Araucaria araucana and A. bidwillii by Michael A. Arnold" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- "Araucaria bidwillii". University of Hamburg. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
- "Climatic zone plants". Earlscliffe. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- "Dropping season for giant Bunya pine cones". SBS News. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- "Man injured by pine cone in San Francisco park sues the US government for $5m". BBC News. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- "Giant pine cone crashes on couple". Stuff. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- Wright, Ian A. (22 May 2018). "Bunya pines are ancient, delicious and possibly deadly". The Conversation. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- Becerra, Hector (30 June 2014). "Great Read: A tree's cinematic fame continues to grow in East L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- Arellano, Gustavo (January 2021). "Column: People came by to pay final respects to this East L.A. tree that went Hollywood. Too soon?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
Bibliography
- Haines R. J. (1983) Embryo development and anatomy in Araucaria Juss. Australian Journal of Botany. 31, 125–140.
- Haines R. J. (1983) Seed development in Araucaria Juss. Australian Journal of Botany. 31, 255–267.
- Hernandez-Castillo, G. R., Stockey R. A.(2002) Palaeobotany of the Bunya Pine In (Ed. Anna Haebich) ppl 31–38. 'On the Bunya Trail' Queensland Review – Special Edition, Volume 9, No. 2, November 2002 (University of Queensland Press: St Lucia).
- Petrie C. C. (ed) (1904), Tom Petrie's Reminiscences of Early Queensland (Brisb, 1904)
- Pye M.G., Gadek P. A. (2004) Genetic diversity, differentiation and conservation in Araucaria bidwillii (Araucariaceae), Australia's Bunya pine. Conservation Genetics. 5, 619–629.
- Smith I. R., Withers K., Billingsley J. (2007) Maintaining the Ancient Bunya Tree (Araucaria bidwillii Hook.) – Dispersal and Mast Years. 5th Southern Connection Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 21–25 January 2007.
- Smith I. R. (2004) Regional Forest Types-Southern Coniferous Forests In 'Encyclopedia of Forest Sciences' (eds. Burley J., Evans J., Youngquist J.) Elsevier: Oxford. pp 1383–1391.
- Smith I. R., Butler D (2002) The Bunya in Queensland's Forests, In (Ed. Anna Haebich) pp. 31–38. 'On the Bunya Trail' Queensland Review – Special Edition, Volume 9, No. 2, November 2002 (University of Queensland Press: St Lucia).
External links
- Wikispecies has information related to Araucaria bidwillii.
- Wikimedia Commons logo
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to Araucaria bidwillii.
- View a map of historical sightings of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
- View observations of this species on iNaturalist
- View images of this species on Flickriver
- Bountiful bunyas : a charismatic tree with a fascinating history, Stacey Larner, John Oxley Library Blog. State Library of Queensland.
Source: Wikipedia as at April2026
2020-07-23 Ruffey Lake Park Landscape Masterplan Report
Significant trees identified in Ruffey Lake Park
include: Araucaria bidwillii, Bunya Bunya Pines (Tree ID 38)
The two Bunya Bunya Pines are located in the valley west of the Victoria Street adventure playground. Located on a grassed slope at the southern end of a row of elms on “Farm Drive”. The trees are approx. age 105 years and maturing.
They are locally significant as old and large specimens of an uncommon tree in Manningham. The trees were planted by German settler John Finger and have a historic connection to Manningham’s orcharding history. Refer Figure 12 Precinct 2 Church Road North.
Source: 2020-07-23 Ruffey Lake Park Landscape Masterplan Report.pdf
RUFFEY LAKE PARK Landscape masterplan June 2021
HO170 protects the Black Achan Pear & Bunya Bunya Pine located in Ruffey Lake Park, Victoria Street, Doncaster.
Araucaria bidwillii, Bunya Bunya Pines (Tree
ID 38) The two Bunya Bunya Pines are located in the valley west of the Victoria Street adventure playground. Located on a grassed slope at the southern end of a row of elms on “Farm Drive”. The trees are approx. age 105 years and maturing.
They are locally significant as old and large specimens of an uncommon tree in Manningham. The trees were planted by German settler John Finger and have a historic connection to Manningham’s orcharding history.
Source: RUFFEY LAKE PARK Landscape masterplan June 2021 Downloaded April2026
108 ByWays DoncasterMirror
Nov 18 1982
BYWAYS OF LOCAL HISTORY
Rare pine is a beautiful tree
by JOAN SEPPINGS WEBSTER
PINE trees are distinctive to Doncas-ter's appearance.
The European pine was planted by early orchardists to protect their growing seedlings once they had cleared the land of native trees.
Many have disappeared with the growth of subdivisions and just as many have self-seeded and sprung up among patches of natural bush along creekways and river sides,
These pines are common. But one rare pine is a most beautiful tree. The Bunya Bunya pine. For two reasons the Bunya Bunya pine is often thought of as introduced exotic. One reason is the association of early German settlers with the common introduced pine. The other reason is the... special association of the Bunya Bunya with Baron Von Mueller, also a German. Baron Von Mueller was the designer of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens and a friend of many of Doncaster's. German families, in par-ticular the Thiele family of Victoria St.
But the Bunya Bunya pine is an indigenous Australian. It abounds in southern Queensland and in the Bunya Mountains of South East Queensland grows to a height of 43m. In 1838. Petri gave samples of the tree to an English naturalist J. S. Bidwill who took them back to England in 1843.
The Bunya Pine of Australia was named in London Araucaria Bidwilli after the naturalist and was shown at London's Kew Gardens, famous for its plants from all over the world, collected by the instigation of Joseph Banks.
Specimens
The most beautiful and prominent local specimen of the Bunya pine once graced the front garden of Doncas-ter's municipal offices. It was cut down when Doncaster Rd. was widened in 1970.
That tree originally was in the garden of Schramm's Cottage, which was original- ly located just to the west of the municipal buildings. A Bunya Bunya pine can still be seen in the grounds of the Eastern Golf Club. It can easily be seen from Don-caster Rd., being quite close to the roadside, east of the club house just about in line with a building which was the original coach house of that estate. The Bunya pine here marks the spot where David Nellie Mitchell, father of Dame Melba, built a cottage in 1860.
Another Bunya pine can also still seen in the gardens, the Vic-toria St. end, down by Ruf-feys Creek. It was planted by John Finget, an early German settler. The Bunya Pine was highly prized by aborigines of Queensland. The seeds of the cone, 1½” long, were sweet when young and, in this state, were eaten raw. Ripened seeds were roasted in ashes or hot coals. Early white Queensland settlers used them to obtain flour for the making of damper.
The Bunya pine has a bumper crop every third year and at these intervals natives would travel long distances to gather for feasts of the seed.
The timber of this tree is said to be suitable for furniture as it can be cut into wide planks. It has been used for joinery, cabinet work, shelving, flooring, lathes, butter boxes, plywoods and veneers. Its timber has a pale color.
The aboriginals called the tree Bon-Yi Bon-Yi. Two English oak trees stand in the Leeds St., East Doncaster reserve, a little to the west of the RSL Hall. A reader has suggested they were planted as a post-war peace commemoration. Am reader with the story behind these trees may contact Th Mirror, and the story will be published and acknowledged.
A BUNYA BUNYA Pine. Illustration by Katherine Seppings.
