A Gallipoli pine moved 600 metres, roots and all

The pine lifted out whole on the tree spade, roots and all.

Bankstown · 2008 · Builders & developers

The challenge

A Gallipoli pine grew in the grounds of Bankstown Hospital, raised from seed collected at the Gallipoli memorial garden. A tree with that history can't simply be replaced. A new development needed its spot, so the state government wanted it moved, not removed. It was a large, established tree, and a tree that size can die if it loses too many roots in a move. It also had to travel 600 metres.

What we did

• Kept the roots together. Dug carefully around the root system before the lift.

• Moved it in one piece. Lifted the tree out whole with a truck-mounted tree spade, so the root ball stayed intact for the 600-metre trip.

The spade closes around the root ball so every root comes with the tree.

On its way to the new spot, 600 metres away.

• Helped it settle in. Mulched the root zone, set up irrigation, and monitored it for pests while it re-established.

The result

The pine is alive and doing well in its new spot.