Elizabeth Karri Kings Park
1958Photo
Bunning Brothers donated a Karri tree felled in the Donnelly region to the Kings Park Board as a tribute to the State's forest wealth as part of the Festival of Trees. On the 25th August 1958 the Minister for Forests H.E. Graham officially opened the Festival of Trees in the Kings Park Botanical Gardens and named the great log "The Elizabeth Karri Tree'.
Before cutting, this Karri tree was 378 years old , stood 157ft (47.8m) high and was 119ft (36.2m) to the first limb. The actual log transported to Perth had a butt circumference of 25ft (7.6m), a crown circumference of 16ft ( 4.8m) and weighed 110 tons.
Bush Boss Phil McNab supervised the felling of the tree with Aub and Kevin McKay hauling the log using a D8 and D7 Caterpillar dozers back to the Wheatley Settlement (Donnelly Village).
To transport up to Kings Park Botanical Gardens for the Festival of Trees the logs were cut into 3 sections and loaded onto three 200hp Diamond T trucks driven by C Young, P Phelan and J Tillman with H Wheatley driving an army Blitz truck loaded with all the spare gear of tyres, grease, oils, rope, hooks, spanners and fuel.
Details
Details
The Karri log came from the Donnelly region and represented a growth industry of timber milling that occurred post World War 11 to cater for the shortage of timber in the housing market. Bunnings became one the biggest family timber merchants in Western Australia and the Donnelly River settlement, people and mill all played a very important part in the Bunnings history and in the history of Western Australia during the timber milling era of the 1950's until the mills closure on the 30th June 1978.
More can be learnt about the timber milling era of Donnelly River Village and Mill by visiting their website page or by staying in the now holiday village of Donnelly River.
More can be learnt about the timber milling era of Donnelly River Village and Mill by visiting their website page or by staying in the now holiday village of Donnelly River.
This link will take you to the holiday accommodation web page of Donnelly River a former Bunning Brothers mill town in South Western Australia.
This is the official website of Save Donnelly Mill 2018 Inc (SDM2018). Donnelly Mill is located at Donnelly River in the heart of the Karri forest of the South West in Western Australia. The mill was formerly owned and operated by the Bunnings Brothers during the timber milling era of the early 1950's to mid 1970's. The mill and site on closure of the mill now comes under the jurisdiction of the Western Australian Government. Save Donnelly Mill 2018 Inc. SDM2018 Inc has been set up to 'Save the Donnelly Mill' from completely falling down and to ensure that very important artefacts and machinery are restored, the building made safe and the site turned into an important tourism icon for the region. The Friends of Donnelly Village Inc are a member of this non profit organisation.
Copyright and Reference
Copyright and Reference
Acknowledgements to be made to Friends of Donnelly Village Inc.
Friends of Donnelly Village Inc (FODV)
Friends of Donnelly Village Inc (FODV)
Other items from Friends of Donnelly Village Inc (FODV)
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Girl Guides Donnelly River
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Jack Surina Donnelly Mill
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Len Cresey's Donnelly River Demons Basketball Jacket
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Club at Donnelly River Village
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1954 Donnelly River football team
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Children at the Donnelly River dam
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Donnelly River Cottage c1960's
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2013 Donnelly River Reunion
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Donnelly River Primary School
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Roy Britten and the Twin Saw Bunnings Mill Donnelly River
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Locomotive No 176 with crew
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