In April 2026, many of us were shocked to find out that Parks Victoria intended to clear almost 1 hectare of rare snow gum dominated forest on Mt Macedon in order to restore a view from near the Memorial Cross towards Melbourne.

Locals and environmentalists quickly mobilised to defend the forest and despite a spirited campaign and several days of occupying the site, contractors moved in on April 17 and devastated the slopes immediately south of the summit. On the Sunday, a planned community rally went ahead and turned into something of a vigil to reflect on the destruction that had just happened. There was grief, sadness, anger and determination. What really struck me was the depth of feeling that so many people expressed for the mountain. Many of us see the mountain as a personal refuge. This destruction of a rare forest has impacted many on a deep level. I heard so many stories of people’s personal connection to the mountain last week.

Local resident Lydia Best spoke at the vigil about her connection to the mountain.

Mt Macedon Snow Gums Vigil – Speech

The cutting and poisoning of the endangered snow gums beside the Mt Macedon Memorial Cross is a deeply personal issue for me. My family, friends, and communities have been advocating for the protection of our Mt Macedon Snow Gums, in some way or another, for my whole life. As long as I can remember.

Back in 2015, when I was in year 7 and not long before my dad died, he led a very special community walk called “The Snow Gums to the Plains”. Beginning on the top of Mount Macedon, a group of locals (including me) walked 16km down the side of the Range, and eventually emerged out on the sweeping gold of our beautiful Western Plains. It was an incredibly significant walk, and my memories of it are very clear, despite how young I was, and how much time has now passed.

Since then though, not much has changed. These Snow Gums are still incredibly important to me and my everyday life, and we are still fighting to protect them.

During my honours degree last year I wrote an assignment about my favourite study spot, which is on top of the rocks at Camels Hump, among the Snow Gums. In my bachelor’s degree, I wrote and published a piece of art writing Ekphrasis about the significant trees in my life. It was titled ‘Forests of Home’, and the snow gums on Mt Macedon had their own section.

For me, trees are memory keepers, and I spend time with them in order to remember. The snow gums on this mountain remind me of my dad, my mum, my childhood, my life. Every single one of those trees holds value, and significance. To lose one is to lose a piece of myself.

So today, when I saw in person the destruction that has occurred over there, the sheer scale of the death, I felt as though a piece of me has died with them.

Our Mt Macedon snow gums are extremely ecologically significant, and they also hold an immense amount of personal significance — for me, and for a lot of people who live or grew up around this region.

I am still learning to hold the full weight of their significance now, even after they have been chopped down and poisoned.

I am up here protesting and speaking today because I feel I owe it to those trees. They have given me so much — memories of my dad, a place to explore my self, to make new memories with friends, and even now, they are helping us to tell stories.

Thank you for listening to mine.