A little local is delighted by the fairy offerings.
Palerang Council has moved to save the famed Araluen Fairy Tree from termites. The enormous gum, that may be several hundred years old and has a hollow at the base, has enchanted local children for generations.
Council says “It has an aura of mystery, entwined with folklore and fantasy with its hollowed-out base, the perfect hiding place for fairies and the forest's other mystical creatures.
Generations of children have visited the tree to leave presents and food for the fairies, and to decorate and furnish their home.
The seemingly invincible tree, protector of the fairies, is now under threat from a nest of termites, which is growing inside the hollowed-out base, crowding out the fairies' home.”
The Fairy Tree was initially called ''The Redman Tree'' after fabled small red men known to the original Irish inhabitants of the Araluen/Reidsdale area.
Council has obtained an expert opinion on the state of the tree, and will do whatever it can to save it. This will involve engaging a pest controller to manage the termite infestation and will probably also include quarterly inspections of the tree.
This work should ensure that the Araluen Fairy Tree will live for many more years. The tree will, however, continue to lose branches, which is usual for a tree of this species and age.
You can read more about the folklore of the tree in ‘Reidsdale Remembered: The History of Irish Corner: A Rural Community (2012) by Jill Clarke.