REDLANDS wonderful poinciana trees are in full colour and Wellington Point resident Harold Cook thinks that his grandfather Peter Petersen may have been the farmer to propagate the original crop.
Mr Cook, 86, said his grandfather, born in 1875, grew poincianas from seed at his farm at Princess Street, Cleveland.
A Redland Times newspaper cutting dating from about 30 years ago attributes the event to his forbear.
“Of course, it was all just bushland then,’’ Mr Cook said.
Redland City Council says the first poinciana trees were planted by Redland Shire Council in the late 1800’s.
In 1939 a resident wrote to the Redland Times, congratulating Councillor Henry Ziegenfusz on the avenues of poincianas.
Mayor Karen Williams said many plantings occurred throughout the shire in the 1920s, with Cleveland poincianas being sown in October, 1927.
“Each year, our poincianas give us a stunning display of vibrant red, heralding that Christmas and summer have arrived,’’ she said.
“These plantings were done with such foresight, but I don’t think officials of the time could have imagined how this floral display would become such a much-loved part of our community, continuing to bring extra special red each year to Redlands.
“Today, so many years on, we are the beneficiaries of their desire to build a strong, vibrant, beautiful community.”
Next year in October, the large poinciana in Bloomfield Street opposite the library will celebrate it’s 90th birthday.
This tree captures the imagination of many in the community, even being the subject of the One Tree Exhibition by Denise Piva displayed at Redland Art Gallery recently.
More information on poincianas can be found at the Redland Libraries Local History and Heritage Collection in the Cleveland Library.
Walter Hill, the first Superintendent of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, is credited with introducing jacarandas and poincianas to Australia.
A Brisbane jacaranda that he planted in 1864 is believed to be the parent tree to all of Australia’s jacarandas.
The tree also is believed to the subject of the 1903 painting Under the Jacaranda by Richard Godfrey Rivers. The Botanic Gardens tree died in 1980 when blown over in a storm.
Former Brisbane Botanic Gardens curator Ross McKinnon believes Hill sourced the original jacaranda seed from a ship's captain. He also recycled rocks which were used as ships ballast and they can still be seen in the gardens. He also used coral dredged out of the Brisbane River.
The poinciana is part of the Redland City Council crest, although many would argue these days that rather than promoting a Madagascan species, perhaps it should be the eucalypt given its links to koalas.
