Victoria's tallest trees

The heights of over 200 trees from more than 30 tall stands were measured between December 2000 and February 2002 in an attempt to determine the location of Victoria's tallest existing trees. For the first time in Australia, two relatively new methods for measuring tall trees, the ground-based laser rangefinder sine technique and a tapeline deployed by an arborist, were used to achieve a high degree of accuracy. The tallest tree was a 91.6 m (300.5 ft) Eucalyptus regnans (mountain ash) growing at 690 m asl in the Wallaby Creek catchment, Kinglake National Park. More than 50 trees were found to be taller than the previously recognised 'tallest tree' located in the Cumberland scenic reserve, which now stands at 81.5 m. All but one of these trees are E. regnans, the exception being an E. nitens (shining gum) 85 m tall growing in the O'Shannassy catchment of the Yarra Ranges National Park. All trees 85 m or more tall are well over 150 y old and have probably reached their greatest height. As senescence inevitably reduces their height over next 100 y, regrowth trees resulting from fires in 1908, 1923, 1926, 1932 and especially 1939 will progressively provide the tallest trees in the State. At present the tallest regrowth trees are located along Sassafras Creek in the Dandenong Ranges. The stand is less than 100 y old and the tallest tree reaches 84 m, with many others between 80 m and 83 m.