Were these trees marked by Major Mitchell?
Click the image for more detail
Local lore has it that these trees, located a kilometre or so south of Violet Town, were marked by Major Thomas Mitchell in 1836.
The two trees are close together and 'marks' on them have grown with the trees, distorting the trunks to the point where they are in danger of dying.
Recognising that the trees have some historical significance, a fence was erected around the trees, located in the waste disposal compound [the Council Tip], so that they would be protected. It is possible to view the trees from the road reserve when the tip is not open, however you may need to walk through some road side scrub.
What is not really certain is whether Major Mitchell, on either 10 or 11 October 1836, made the marks on the trees. It is quite possible that someone, perhaps it was a gold prospector on his way from Bendigo to Beechworth wanting to know where to turn on the return journey, perhaps it was a surveyor.
Click the image for more detail
If it was Major Mitchell, or one of his team, who marked the tree(s) it is unlikely that it would have been for the purpose of directing traffic to and from the gold fields which, at the time, had yet to be discovered.
If the marks were made by man, then it is not impossible that a surveyor, setting out the main road connecting Melbourne and Sydney, would have made reference marks in the tree. This marking of trees has long been the practice of road and of land surveyors.
The images have a 'smokey' look about them because they were taken when most of North Eastern Victoria was blanketed by smoke from the December bushfires. These fires have burnt almost a million hectares of bush in the alpine region and parts of Gippsland.
Do you know the true story?
Help solve the mystery of the trees, call or email the Editor on (03) 5798 1858 if you know something about them .