Ferguson Valley, WA: Anger after 800-year-old tree beloved by tourists is cut down in minutes: ‘Gutted’

There is shock and anger in the local community after the destruction of an 800-year-old natural wonder.

According to local guide Peter Murphy, he was taking a group of French tourists to an ancient eucalyptus tree in the Ferguson Valley, about two hours south of Perth, when he discovered that the tree had been cut down to the stump.

“I took them to look at the tree but I didn’t know it was gone,” he told 6PR Perth’s Gary Adshead on Friday.

“I was devastated. I’m just devastated.”

The tree, nicknamed ‘Bob Brown’ after the Tasmanian environmentalist and former Greens senator, is believed to have stood on the site since the 12th century.

Mr Brown called 6PR and said he was ‘shocked’ by the loss.

“I have seen this repeatedly with trees being cut down, sometimes to take revenge on environmentalists, but often for no good reason,” he said.

‘Why on earth they would want to prune a natural tree when a fence had been put up around it to keep visitors away from falling branches is beyond me.

The 12th century tree was a popular tourist attraction and sacred to the local Noongar people

“That’s what you do with other trees, that’s what you do with old ruins, that’s what they did at Stonehenge.”

The Western Australian government’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has acknowledged hiring a contractor to prune the tree in Wellington National Park to prevent visitors from getting near it due to falling branches. However, the tree was not intended to be felled.

“DBCA has hired a tree surgeon to remove the fallen branches and address the risk,” the department said in a statement.

‘DBCA met the contractor on site before work began to determine the scope of requirements.

‘DBCA has contacted the contractor and there is clearly a breakdown in communication on behalf of the contractor as the instructions regarding the pruning work to be carried out were clear.’

Politician Bob Brown believes it should be criminal to cut down such a historic and important tree

Mr Brown suggested that those responsible should be brought to justice.

“I think it’s criminal behavior,” he said.

‘This tree was there in the 12th century, if its age is correct. It has great significance to the Noongar people.

‘It was a great source of inspiration and wonder, perhaps for another century or two. But that was not counted.’

Mr Brown said he had written a letter to Western Australian Premier Roger Cook about the incident.

“The local community is devastated,” Brown said.

Mr Brown compared the situation to the felling of the iconic ‘Robin Hood’ tree in Britain last year, in an interview with 9News.

The ancient tree at Sycamore’s Gap was toppled in September 2023 and fell into Hadrian’s Wall, a World Heritage Site.

The famous tree attracted thousands of tourists and landscape photographers each year and was featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The night-time pruning caused widespread outrage at the time.

Two men were later charged over the incident.

“They arrest people who defend trees, it’s time to arrest people who destroy trees,” Brown told the network about the Ferguson Valley tree.