Queensland Native Bottle Tree, Cobb & Co Park, Rosewood

Ipswich City Council unveiled a new sculpture in Cobb & Co Park in Rosewood as part of a tree support attached to a 70-year-old iconic Queensland native bottle tree (Brachychiton rupestris). The sculpture is a metal silhouette of a convict-like figure appearing to hold the tree up and was designed and completed by Council employees.

The bottle tree was originally planted in a Rosewood front yard in the 1950s. In September 2015, council relocated the tree to Cobb & Co Heritage Park and the tree has been cared for by council arborists. In 2021, Council arborists noticed the tree had started on a lean towards the park’s southern side. This occurred naturally and was likely due to settling of the ground over time and the breakdown of organic material under the root plate.

An adjustable tree support was installed in 2022 to ensure that the tree would not lean any further. A team of council employees were involved in the design, construction and installation of the sculpture (silhouette). The idea to create the silhouette came from the history of the area and the tree leaning south, towards the old Rosewood police lock-up building which was also relocated to the heritage park in 2015.