Hi everyone, I hope you and yours are doing well. After a burst of sunny spring weather it seems like we have been plunged back into winter.
However, this morning was cool, cloudy, but no rain imminent, and no wind, so we decided to take our morning walk through the paperbarks along Cathedral Avenue, which skirts along one side of the Leschenault Inlet in Australind only about 10 minutes from our home. I have blogged about it before, but I was surprised how long ago it was: Paperbark Cathedral - Leschenault Estuary
Cathedral Avenue was part of the original Old Coast Road coach route from Mandurah to Bunbury, used by prominent figures like colonial settlers Thomas Peel and Marshall Waller Clifton in the early to mid-1800s.
Paperbark trees line the road. They are of unknown age, but likely to date from the early to mid-1800s when the road was established as a coach route. It is believed that gangs of convicts cut the roadway through the trees. The trees arch over the road forming a cathedral like appearance, hence the name Cathedral Avenue.
When we first came to Bunbury we could drive along under the trees, but since then a road has been diverted around the trees, and the original road is now a safe pathway for waking and cycling. It is a lovely shady walk under the trees. On the return you can divert to a path along the water's edge of the Leschenault Estuary.
We have walked along here many times, but it wasn't until today that we discovered that there are two varieties of paperbarks growing along here. Perhaps I looked at them more closely as they were flowering.
The most distinctive feature of the paperbark is their multi-layered, paper-like bark, which consists of thin, papery layers separated by fibrous material. The Noongar people used this papery, waterproof bark for wrapping food, making shelters, creating bandages and using as toilet paper.
I do love the delicious textures.
Below is the Swamp Paperbark - Melaleuca rhaphiophylla
The Swamp Paperbark is a small to medium tree growing to 10 metres high with greyish white paper bark. It can be found near both fresh and saline water. It has narrow needle like leaves and clusters of very fragrant creamy flowers. It flowers from spring to summer.
The Indigenous Noongar name for Melaleuca rhaphiophylla is Bibool or Yowarl, and for the Minang people (a Noongar group), it is yourl or yorral borrna.
Below is the Saltwater Paperbark - Melaleuca cuticularis
This is a small gnarled tree up to 7 metres high with very white papery bark. It grows in salty wetlands. The 5-12mm long leaves are arranged in two opposite pairs forming four regular lines of the leaves down the stems. It has white to cream, very fragrant flowers, singularly or in clusters spring to early summer.
The Indigenous name for Melaleuca cuticularis, is often Yoorl in the Noongar/Nyungar language, with variations like yourl and yorral borrna also documented from the Minang/Menang people.
A couple of other flowers we saw today along the Cathedral Avenue walk path - one of the eucalypt gum trees, pink fairy orchids, and one of the wattles.
Update - 10 October - today we went walking at Manea Nature Reserve - and we came across another variety of paperbark - the Stout Paperbark - Melaleuca preissiana, also known for its indigenous name - modong or moonah,
Paperbark Cathedral, Lescenault Estuary
Eucalypt Swamp Yate - Leschenault Estuary
Finding Spoonbills along the Leschenault Estuary
For more information -
Australian Native Plant Society
Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.
