One of the finest pine trees growing in NSW state forests has taken pride of place as a decorated Christmas tree in the foyer of Government House.
It’s a Christmas tradition that for decades has brought festive season cheer to visitors to Sydney’s heritage-listed ‘Castle by the Sea.’
Sourced from Penrose State Forest, the Pinus radiata has been beautifully decorated in time for the regal Christmas reception of the NSW Governor Margaret Beazley AC KC.
The five-metre-high pine was transported from the southern highlands to Sydney after a rigorous selection process by the NSW Forestry Corporation to find a perfectly shaped Christmas tree.
In Brisbane last week, Queensland’s industry celebrated Christmas in style, joining more than 30 MPs at a cocktail reception as part of the ‘Parliamentary Friends of the Queensland Forest and Timber Industry Network’ to mark the sixth consecutive year of donating a real, fresh Christmas Tree to parliament. Grown at a local Christmas tree farm, the Monterey pine, otherwise known as radiata, is commonly grown for Christmas trees due to its conical shape and form. The Christmas tree decorations – Parliamentary Friends badges and pens – were made from ‘Queensland’s own’ Araucaria cunninghamii (hoop pine).
Parliamentary Friends Network co-chairs Tony Perrett, Minister for Primary Industries, and Tom Smith, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Rural Development and Manufacturing, both emphasised the importance of having a strong local timber industry. This bipartisan support was welcomed by the large industry cohort who attended representing the native hardwood and cypress sectors, softwood plantation sector and wood processing and timber manufacturing supply chains.
But on a much larger scale across Australia, the demand for real Christmas trees this year is outstripping supply.
Wes Saundry, who runs a Christmas tree farm in Adelaide, said sustainability was the main reason more people had started buying real trees: “Since people are wanting more sustainable products, they’re starting to find out they’re actually enjoying [real trees] a lot,” he said. “Everything that grows is eventually returned to the soil. It’s very carbon neutral.”
According to global market researcher EMR, the Australian Christmas tree market reached more than $108 million last year and is expected to exceed $154 million by 2032. Decorating a Christmas tree is a centuries-old global tradition. The first records of Christmas trees being cut for display come from the 1820s in America’s Pennsylvania German community, although trees may have been a tradition there even earlier.
As early as 1747, Moravian Germans in Pennsylvania had a community tree in the form of a wooden pyramid decorated with candles.
The earliest known firmly dated representation of a Christmas tree is on the keystone sculpture of a private home in Turckheim in Alsace in eastern France on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland dated 1562. It is widely believed that in the Middle Ages modern-day Germany revealed the first real Christmas trees. The first documented use of a tree at Christmas and New Year celebrations is argued between the cities of Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia.
Trees have claimed such a centrepiece in world cultures that one central symbol, the Tree of Life, appears in ancient artistry across almost every corner of the globe.
So, what does the Tree of Life represent?
The answer is many-fold. The Tree of Life has countless ancient roots similar to the physical roots of the tree itself. Archaeologists have located this symbol in Turkey and dated it back to 7000 BC. Similarly, it appears in Acadian culture around 3000 BC.
The symbol also shows up in ancient Celtic culture; they called the tree ‘Crann Bethadh’ in their language. The Celts highly revered trees. After clearing a field, for example, they ritualistically left a single tree standing in the middle. Generations of people would then use this tree’s shelter to conduct meetings and ceremonies. Indeed, the Celtic people believed that trees were wise, mystical living beings, and their high regard for nature led them to use trees as symbols in their culture.
Finally, Christianity also retains elements of the Tree of Life, as the Book of Genesis mentions the symbol as the tree which grows in the Garden of Eden. Returning to Australia, the biggest employer in the Green Triangle, plantation forest company OneFortyOne, is again promoting its annual Christmas tree giveaway offering locals the chance to feature a real tree in their homes for the holiday season.
OneFortyOne estate manager Marcel Griffiths said the giveaway was more than just providing people with a tree: “It’s about fostering a sense of community and spreading some cheer at a time we know can be a struggle for many people,” he said.
Mr Griffiths said the giveaway had become a cherished event in the community, offering hundreds of trees each year: “These trees are a bit different from our usual plantation stock,” he said. “They have sprouted in unexpected places, and while they are not fit for commercial timber, they make charming Christmas trees for the community.”
