In April this year, I took a trip to Tasmania/Lutruwita to reconnect with old uni friends, take a dip in the cold waters of Launceston Gorge and track down a rare and fascinating tree – the Myrtle Beech, or Nothofagus (aka Fagus). This small, woody tree is a true local, found only in Tasmania’s highland regions. It thrives in cool climates, only grows at elevations above 800 metres and it’s claim to fame … it is Australia’s only cool climate deciduous tree.

We discovered a strand of the ancient tree high on Cradle Mountain, the reward for an unforgettable trek to Marion’s Peak. The journey began gently, tracing a boardwalk beside Ronny Creek. As we climbed, the landscape shifted from Crater Lake and Lake Lilla, through the to the cool hush of a rainforest stand. The final ascent was tough, a scramble over rugged rocks, guided by stone steps and a sturdy chain rail, each step unveiling more of the breathtaking Tasmanian wilderness.

Fagus, and the broader genus it belongs to, includes 43 species and is native to the Southern Hemisphere, spanning South America, southern Australia, and New Zealand. Its story stretches back millions of years. Fossilised jagged leaves show it was around in the late Cretaceous period, when the ancient supercontinent Gondwana began to split apart. What makes Nothofagus especially special in Australia is that it’s one of the country’s only cool-climate deciduous trees. In early autumn, its leaves glow bright green, then shift to yellow, and finally blaze in golden-brown and red before falling. Alas, we missed out on the red stage.

Meanwhile, in the Otways in Victoria, the Apollo Bay Community Nursery is helping bring Fagus back to the local landscape. This group is growing Fagus trees from seed collected from trees growing in the district. From the nursery, these small seedlings will be planted in local revegetation projects helping to preserve this living piece of prehistoric heritage. You can find a particularly large Fagus tree at Maits Rest, 200m along the walking track from the Great Ocean Road, 12km from Apollo Bay. More details at National Trust.

Writer: Colleen B. Filippa

With a background in Environmental Science, Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees, a social enterprise she launched in 2009 after two decades in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Stepping out of the classroom and into climate action, Colleen created Fifteen Trees to help individuals and businesses reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community-based revegetation projects across Australia.