30 May 2011

Charles Weston honoured with tree planting in the triangle

| johnboy
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The National Capital Authority is letting us know that they’ve planted an Arizona Cypress tree somewhere in the parliamentary triangle to markt he centenary of Charles Weston’s first visit to Canberra:

Weston led the tree planting program that created Canberra’s treed landscape. Between 1913 to 1926 he was responsible for the planting of two million trees and shrubs.

The NCA Chief Executive, Gary Rake highlighted Weston’s great contribution to the national capital.

“Charles Weston created a landscape complementary to Walter Burley Griffin’s design for the national capital,” said Mr Rake.

“It was Weston’s contemporary horticultural ideas that shaped the ‘city in a landscape’ design that Canberra is renowned for.”

With his ashes scattered in 1935 amongst his plantings in front of Old Parliament House I guess he’s still with us.

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averagejoeaussie9:24 pm 01 Jun 11

Here we go again! Yes, I am all in favour of beautiful deciduous/everghreen trees in our suburbs – why does the government (tams, I suppose) insist on planting Eucalypt tress on our nature strips? Fantastic trees in the bush, bloody rediculous in suburbia! Nothing grows underneath them, black rust and other rubbish dropped onto car duco, caterpillars, and destructive root systems – come to think of it, no trees like this at the Lodge; only European/English trees……….

The Arizona Cypress is a lovely tree, and I daresay Charles Weston would have approved.,

But, do we really do this single specimen “planted by the Duke of Dobshire” tradition? If it is a rare species, one hopes that the expenses surrounding the planter’s travel and exertions are at least met my having a few ‘spares for the heir’.

Are we sure it wasn’t ‘Charlton Heston’………..?

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