Farewell to a Giant

In February 2009 an arson fire swept through the western part of Foxes Lair and killed a stately centuries old Marri tree. This tree was on of several photomonitoring points I established to monitor recovery after the fire. The dead branches sagged a bit in following 15 years but the tree stayed largely intact.

2009 killed by fire

2011 bark has fallen off

2016 still largely intact

Yesterday I discovered it after it had blown over during one of the strong southerly winds that we have been having this summer. What a magnificent tree, and what a loss to the birds and animals that rely on it for habitat.

Toppled over February 2026

One would think that a stag like this would last for decades before it rotted enough to blow over, but the upturned roots reveal a familiar story of a tree with multiple large side roots and an insignificant tap root. The soil  here is also shallow ironstone.
I have witnessed a large increase in dead and living trees toppling over in our bush in recent years.

Insignificant taproot

This marri has witnessed several changes. In the early 1920's it amongst a small settlement for workers who excavated the Bottle Creek Dam, and much later a small road workers camp with a small fireplace still in place and then a part of the Banksia Walk Trail. The only surviving Banksia grandis plants adjoin it.

This summer there are many more Red-tailed black cockatoos and Carnabys cockatoos feeding in the Narrogin townsite. Whie being a lovely sight for Narrogin locals I fear that these are birds that have lost their habitats due to widespread bushfires and that their population will fall further.