details

Statement of Significance

This tree has a long and complex history held by NTSA. It is one of the three of Australia's largest English oaks, and SA's largest. It was planted by Sarah Hawkins on land linked to the Pump hotel which she jointly managed with her husband Richard Dixon Hawkins. It celebrated a number of coincidental events in their lives. It became a popular shade tree for Adelaide hills picnickers from 1884 to 1940.

History

Based on its calculated growth rate, newspaper accounts, and deductive reasoning, this oak was planted in 1864 by Sarah Hawkins. It was popularly used as a shade tree when Adelaide picnicking parties visited the Adelaide Hills as respite from the summer heat of plains living.

The property on which this tree is located was bequeathed to NTSA by Florence Gwyneth Cornish in 1970. It is home to the Camellia Society, whose members have created an International Camellia Garden of Excellence, along with members of the now defunct Mt Lofty branch of NTSA.

Location

The tree can be found on Lot 13 adjacent to Bassendene Lane, the eastern side of the property's boundaries.

Other

It is Australia's oldest English oak. It was a celebratory planting in 1864, by the wife of Richard Dixon Hawkins. it is owned by NTSA, one of relatively few Trust-owned Significant Trees. It stands in an International Camellia Garden of Excellence, originally designed in the English "Arts and Crafts" style by well-known local garden designer Elsie Marion Cornish, for her Sister-in-Law Florence Gwyneth Cornish nee Thomas, the daughter of the property's sole first owner Gwyneth's mother, Florence Emily Thomas, nee Thomas, who owned the property outright, not with her Husband, Jabez Edwin Thomas.

Notes

1987 measurements supplied by NTSA: Height 32.0, Circ 5.63, NS 40.0, EW 40.0