A Questionable Survey of Suburban Eucalypts

Uthpala Gunethilake, Island

Uthpala Gunethilake begins to reconsider her first impressions of Australia, one tree at a time.

I’ve lived in Australia twenty years and never before been antsy about not being able to call a gum tree by its name. I haven’t always found Australian flora so beguiling. My mother and I once took the train from Sydney to Melbourne and nearly died of boredom. Accustomed to the glowing green of tropical trees, as though lit from within, we found the bush through country Victoria and New South Wales utterly dull. I’ve adjusted my view now. It takes time.