The Mail Bag tree

This venerable brown stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) tree was once the local post office!

When diggers were working the Blackwood Gully goldfield in the 1880's in South Australia, the mail to and from the prospectors was left in a bag hanging on a hook on this tree. At the time the government was subsidising gold prospecting for unemployed men. They provided them with tents and tools and even paid them twelve shillings per week. On top of that they were allowed to keep any gold they found! I guess the government wasn't really expecting them to find much.

This old tree must have seen a lot of changes in its time, it was clearly here well before the road was made.

The historic tree can be found on Wickham Hill Road on the lovely Fleurieu Peninsula

Bye for now

MURRAY