![The Shutterbugs Photography Group from Barraba came to Bingara for the tree. Picture by Amber Hall The Shutterbugs Photography Group from Barraba came to Bingara for the tree. Picture by Amber Hall](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177678904/6624afdf-79ac-40f3-9bae-33c6c9a347a8.jpeg/r0_0_2048_1341_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Floodwaters have felled an iconic river red gum tree rooted in the memories of many Bingara locals.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Fairy Tree was known by many names including the Hobbit Tree, Root Tree, Pirate Tree, and the Gnome Tree.
According to Bingara local Rick Hutton, it has had a special place in the community with weddings and many other memorable events taking place beside and inside it.
"But the tree continued to grow, and its roots kept going down as the tree went up," he said.
"To the point that, for the last 30 years or so while my children have been growing up, the roots formed a sort of cave.
"People would walk underneath it and through it, be photographed on it. And there would be weddings held there."
![The trees large root system seen fully exposed. Picture by Amber Hall The trees large root system seen fully exposed. Picture by Amber Hall](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/177678904/e6928b60-f2dc-4bef-8af8-e96a6ce9e5e6.jpg/r0_0_4000_3000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The tree has stood for 200 to 300 years, but a series of floods beginning in 1945 followed by 1955 and 1956, have slowly eroded the soil around the tree, according to Mr Hutton.
READ ALSO
Just before the floods arrived so much soil had moved from under the tree that Mr Hutton said there was about two metres of space between the base of the tree and where the roots entered the ground.
However, according to Mr Hutton "unfortunately this latest flood has been a little bit too much for it."
For Mr Hutton is was a real highlight of the landscape which he's quite sad to see go.
"I've lived here for 35 years and it's been a feature of Bingara's landscape in all of that time," he said.
"I can remember my children playing underneath it and in it."
For a few days after the tree fell, it held on by a thread of root, but finally came loose on Friday according to a local photographer Amber Hall, who captured the tree's demise.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News