An endurance of trees

Trees have always provided humankind with food, shelter, timber, and respite from summer heat. Over millennia, they have also served as community meeting places and landmarks to guide travellers.

From the beginning of South Australian settlement, trees have been used for good and ill, as dwellings, landmarks, and as places of both celebration and punishment.

Trees have been an integral part of local history, from the Proclamation of 1836 and the very public hanging of the man who shot the sheriff, to church meetings, weddings, parties, and picnics. Trees have seen it all, and some have endured despite it all. If only they could speak. 

This presentation was recorded as part of the State Library's Stories from the Stacks series on 19 March 2024.

Presenter: Isabel Story, Engagement Librarian, State Library of SA

Image: An avenue of tree along North Terrace, Adelaide, c1930.  SLSA B 5542