History of the Project
The Wollemi pine is native to a temperate rainforest area of Wollemi National Park near Sydney New South Wales.
First discovered by David Noble in 1994, the Wollemia nobilis belongs to the Araucariaceae family. The discovery of the ancient rainforest tree from the time of Gondwana caused a global sensation and this ‘living fossil’ has outlived the dinosaurs. Fossil remains indicate it was once widespread in Gondwana, excluding Africa.
It is now a critically endangered species.
First discovered by David Noble in 1994, the Wollemia nobilis belongs to the Araucariaceae family. The discovery of the ancient rainforest tree from the time of Gondwana caused a global sensation and this ‘living fossil’ has outlived the dinosaurs. Fossil remains indicate it was once widespread in Gondwana, excluding Africa.
It is now a critically endangered species.
The aim of the Friends of the National Arboretum Wollemi Pine Propagation pilot project was to grow Wollemi pine trees from seed collected from the National Arboretum Canberra’s Wollemi Pine Forest 32 for sale under licence to the public to raise funds to support Arboretum projects and to continue the conservation of this rare and critically endangered species.
The idea for the project came about following a brief involvement with the Wollemi pine seed counting project team and Dr Roger Hnatiuk who have been measuring and monitoring the Wollemi growing in the Arboretum’s Forest 32 since 2007 when the trees were first planted.
Ange McNeilly, a member of the Friends and the Harvest Group, gained Friends Council approval for the project in February 2020. The Yarralumla Nursery in Canberra was contracted to grow the trees for the Friends over a three-year period, with the first 30 trees to be ready for sale at the end of two years. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, the first 33 Wollemi were sold in Autumn 2022.
Ange undertook quarterly inspection visits to the Yarralumla Nursery with Colette Mackay OAM and Dr Roger Hnatiuk who provided guidance and valuable scientific information.
Regular updates kept the Friends Council abreast of tree growth and developments.
The project’s robust and healthy Wollemi pines were only available to purchase from the Friends’ website. As the trees had all been grown locally, each very special Wollemi could be traced back to a specific tree in the Arboretum’s Wollemi pine Forest 32.
Proceeds from the sale of the trees went towards supporting projects in Canberra’s iconic Arboretum.