Table of Contents
By Phil Burkitt
Hidden deep within rugged sandstone gorges northwest of Sydney, the Wollemi pine stands as one of Australia’s most remarkable botanical discoveries, a living link to the age of the dinosaurs.
Discovered only in 1994 by a bushwalker David Noble in Wollemi National Park, just north of the Hawkesbury, the Wollemi pine (Wollemia. nobilis) stunned scientists worldwide. It represented a genus thought to have vanished millions of years ago, surviving quietly in a remote canyon where few humans had ever set foot.
The Wollemi pine belongs to the ancient family Araucariaceae, which today includes only three living genera, Agathis, Araucaria, and Wollemia, in all comprising only approximately 40 species. This family once spread across the globe during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, but is now mostly confined to the southern hemisphere.
A Family of Giants
Members of the Araucariaceae are among the tallest and oldest trees on Earth. Towering evergreens, some species can reach over 60 metres in height and develop massive trunks. The New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis), known as Tāne Mahuta or “The Lord of the Forest,” stands nearly 45 metres tall with a diameter at breast height of 4.9m, and is estimated to contain more than 500 cubic metres of timber, making it one of the largest conifers in existence.
The family’s relatives can still be found across the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Australia. The Agathis genus includes about 22 species, such as the kauri and dammar pines.
The better-known Araucaria group features around 20 species, including the hoop pine, Norfolk Island pine, and the bunya bunya pine, the latter famous for its enormous, pineapple-sized cones that can weigh up to 10 kilograms and fall with surprising force.
Ancient Design, Modern Threats
Like other conifers, Araucariaceae trees produce both male and female cones. Their seeds are large and wind pollinated by spores from female cones. Some species are monoecious (having both cone types on one tree), while others are dioecious, producing male and female cones on separate trees.
In the wild, these trees face increasing challenges from climate change, land clearing, and invasive species. The Wollemi pine, however, has become a global conservation success story. Seeds and cultivated specimens have been distributed to botanic gardens and private growers around the world to safeguard its survival.
Locally, the Hawkesbury’s proximity to Wollemi National Park gives residents a special connection to this prehistoric survivor. Gardeners can even purchase licensed Wollemi pine saplings, bringing a touch of ancient history into local backyards.
From the Kauri forests of New Zealand to the sandstone gorges of the Hawkesbury, the Araucariaceae family tells a story that stretches back over 200 million years and continues to grow in our own Hawkesbury region today.
