River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)

River Red Gums are intimately connected to the cultural worlds of many diverse Aboriginal peoples of Australia. The high quality, hard timber resists rotting and is excellent for making canoes. Many River Red Gums can be seen along waterways with huge scars caused by the removal of bark for canoes, coolamons and shields. The leaves of eucalypts were used medicinally by people of the Kulin Nations (and many further afield). It is documented that William Barak, an important Wurundjeri leader, used the dark red sap from the trunk of a River Red Gum as a medicine for burns.

Soure: Indigenous plant use; A booklet on the medicinal, nutritional and technological use of indigenous plants; By Zena Cumpston; Clean Air and Urban Landscapes (CAUL) Hub in Melbourne 2020