The storms in June caused havoc throughout the Yarra Valley, including on the grounds of Mount Lilydale Mercy College. The manna gum tree that has stood proudly at the school’s entrance for around 200 years also succumbed to Mother Nature's force. The loss of the tree was felt deeply throughout the community of MLMC, and a giant hole was left where the tree once stood and had welcomed visitors to the school grounds for the past 125 years.
A working party was formed consisting of the MLMC Maintenance Team, VCAL teacher Mr Michael Dale, Visual Communications teacher Miss Bridgette McGinn and Year 10 student Mitchell Mazzarella, in consultation with senior Wurundjeri elder Aunty Doreen, to reinstate what was left of the tree and celebrate the tree’s heritage and significance to our community.
Stage 1 was trimming and standing the tree known as the ‘Wurrun Kalk’ (manna gum tree). The path was laid in burnt ochre and the offer of a 3m x 1.6m metal sign from the Mazzarella family, along with some native plants, and the new garden started to take shape. As part of their community projects, the Year 11 Applied Learning students built planter boxes with seating and spent time planting the native plants.
With the metal sign now set in place, the time has come to celebrate the new addition to MLMC, the ‘Wurrun Kalk’. The space provides a quiet area and time to reflect on the beautiful manna gum’s importance and recognise the Wurundjeri people as the land’s traditional custodians.
