A centuries-old natural wonder has been cut to the ground in Western Australia, angering locals.
The cherished peppermint tree has stood in the Ferguson Valley for 800 years.
“To think that it could have been destroyed in a matter of minutes is … well, it’s gutting, it is hopeless,” former Greens leader Bob Brown told 9News.
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A tour guide last week found it had been razed as he arrived to show it to overseas tourists.
“Highly embarrassed, and I was devastated,” Peter Murphy told 6PR Perth.
“I’ve taken hundreds of people to see this tree, and I’m just gutted.”
The eucalypt sacred to Noongar people is often referred to as the Bob Brown tree, named after the former Greens leader who helped locals fight to save it from logging in 1999.
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“It’s nearly impossible to sit in front of something that’s 800 years old and understand or appreciate all the centuries that have passed by,” Brown said.
“I’ve sat there with Noongar people over the years and, you know, listened to them speak to the tree,” Murphy added.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has blamed the axing on a communication breakdown.
A spokesperson said it had “contracted an arborist to remove fallen branches, and the instructions on the pruning works to be undertaken were clear”.
Brown likened the situation to the destruction of Britain’s iconic Robin Hood tree, which sparked global shock earlier this year.
Two men were charged over that incident, and the Ferguson Valley tree is even older. Brown has called for someone to be held accountable.
“They arrest people for defending trees, it’s time people got arrested for destroying trees,” Brown said.
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