Loving the River Red Gum

Author Koh Lin ◦

Found growing across Australia is the River Red Gum. Although I have always noticed them, I really did not pay too much attention, as living in Central Australia, they were all around me. Since I have been photographing them, researching and writing about them, I have become enamoured with the River Red Gum.

Whilst some gum trees were obviously River Red Gums, there were others that I would question, as they were different. I sort of knew that they were associated with rivers, although here in Alice Springs and Central Australia, most of our rivers and creeks are dry. Those in the know, would say, aahhh, the water is down underground, if only you knew where to dig. The River Red Gums here in Central Australia, appears to know where to dig.

Of course living in Alice Springs, I would see them around the town and suburbs (yes, we have suburbs). Many people even have them planted in their garden, whilst the council have also included them in street verge plantings over the years.

We do have some River Red Gums designated as sacred trees, including one in the heart of town… “Ilwempe Sacred River Red Gum“. Once upon a time, there were a number of River Red Gums along Todd and Parsons Streets, but with local town development, this is the only tree left to indicate how high the level of the Todd River flood had occurred in the past

The tree is sacred to the Arrernte people, a part of the Kwekatye Dreaming which tells of the uninitiated boys who travelled through Mparntwe (Alice Springs) from Kwiyernpe (Pine Gap).

To those with a scientific bent, the Eucalyptus camaldulensis is the official name for what the rest of us know as the River Red Gum. Although, that is not the only common name, and there are even variation on the spelling of the name, including River Redgum, River Red-gum or just the shortened format of Red Gum or River Gum. Of course such an ubiquitous tree that is found across Australia, there are also other names such as Biall, Blue Gum, Creek Gum, Flooded Gum, Forest Gum, Murray Red Gum, Yarrah and Yarrow.

There are of course the aboriginal names for this iconic tree. With 250 Indigenous languages including 800 dialect, following is just a handful of the names: Alyawarr, Anmatyerr name is aper, Eastern Arrernte name is aper, Kaytetye name is apere, Pintupi Luritja name is aylpele, Pitjantjatjara / Yankunytjatjara name is itara, Pitjantjatjara also know it as ngapiri, pipalya, yitara, Waramangu name is apara, piipalya, Warlpiri name is kunjumarra, Western Arrernte name is kunjumarra, ngapiri, Miriwoong (language of the Kimberley) know the tree as Dimilan.

One of the amazing things I learnt about the River Red Gum is that there are sub-species, here in Central Australia, we have the Inland River Red Gum.

The other thing I notice about our River Red Gums are that they have some fantastic looking trunks and shapes… as a stroll along the Todd River will reveal, some of these amazing and varied shapes of the River Red Gum.

In the recent two part series Australia’s Favourite Tree, that was part of the National Science Week, a panel of expert judges looked at eight remarkable species of Australian trees. It came down to the People’s Choice who selected the River Red Gum as Australia’s favourite native tree (that garnered the most votes).

So I am glad that I am not alone with loving our River Red Gum…

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