Floodwaters have felled an iconic river red gum tree rooted in the memories of many Bingara locals.
The Fairy Tree was known by many names including the Hobbit Tree, Root Tree, Pirate Tree, and the Gnome Tree.
According to Bingara local Rick Hutton, it has had a special place in the community with weddings and many other memorable events taking place beside and inside it.
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"But the tree continued to grow, and its roots kept going down as the tree went up," he said.
"To the point that, for the last 30 years or so while my children have been growing up, the roots formed a sort of cave.
"People would walk underneath it and through it, be photographed on it. And there would be weddings held there."
Just before the floods arrived so much soil had moved from under the tree that Mr Hutton said there was about two metres of space between the base of the tree and where the roots entered the ground.
However, according to Mr Hutton "unfortunately this latest flood has been a little bit too much for it."
For Mr Hutton is was a real highlight of the landscape which he's quite sad to see go.
"I've lived here for 35 years and it's been a feature of Bingara's landscape in all of that time," he said.
"I can remember my children playing underneath it and in it."
For a few days after the tree fell, it held on by a thread of root, but finally came loose on Friday according to a local photographer Amber Hall, who captured the tree's demise.
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Mark Kriedemann
I take a particular interest in industry, environment, science, and technology subjects. Besides studies in media, my tertiary education covers genetics, as well as International Relations. I therefore strive to draw links between these varying disciplines to give a comprehensive analysis of developments in industry, agriculture, and the associated politics.
I take a particular interest in industry, environment, science, and technology subjects. Besides studies in media, my tertiary education covers genetics, as well as International Relations. I therefore strive to draw links between these varying disciplines to give a comprehensive analysis of developments in industry, agriculture, and the associated politics.
