Eucalyptus strzeleckii

The Strzelecki Gum was named after the explorer Paul De Strzelecki. The species is listed as Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and Vulnerable under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

The species only exist in their natural state anywhere in the world within the ranges of West and South Gippsland. The total area is no more than a 130km band. The species grows to 30-35 m in Drouin and Warragul.

These gums prefer low lying wetlands so are mostly found adjacent to streams and creeks but also along roadside corridors in low lying areas. The west end of McGlone Road is one of the most notable in Drouin but unfortunately trees along the north side of the road have been removed for development making the remaining tree road corridor very valuable. But they can also be found along Buln Buln Road, Shillinglaw Road east, McNeilly Park Drouin and in Warragul along East West Road and other fringe roads.

Possibly the largest girthed Strzelecki Gum in the Shire is to be found on the east side of the Neerim Reserve.

The tree has dual crowns of 15m each and is thinning a little on top. It also may represent the northern most distribution of the species in the Shire. It has survived droughts, flooding rains, at least one lightning strike, the loss of one huge branch in a storm and approaching bush fires.  Each of its trunks are 7.4m in girth. It is a giant.

It is estimated that this one tree has stored around 50 tonnes of carbon and sequestered (absorbed) at least 95 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) in its life so far.

Strzelecki Gums are smooth trunked with cream patches above and rough bark below to about 3m above the ground.

Their buds and fruits are in groups of seven. Their leaves when crushed have a strong eucalyptus smell and the edges of the leaves have a wavy margin.

Eucalyptus Strzeleckii was identified as a separate species by Kevin Rule in 1992