A 16-metre date palm stands in a vacant block of land on Stawell’s Skene Street and towers over any surrounding rooftop.
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But it will be relocated to a new home in Melbourne after the City of Boroondara Council snapped up the tree-mendous discovery.
Stawell’s Kevin and Sandy Moulynox bought the block of land in October and sent out emails offering the date palm tree to various Victorian councils who grew palm trees.
“City of Boroondara wanted it so now there is a 50 tonne crane ready to lift it out of the ground and transport it three hours down the Western Highway,” Mr Moulynox said.
The City of Boroondara confirmed it had purchased the tree and arranged for The Tree Company to transport it.
But the metropolitan council was yet to confirm how much it paid for the tree and where it would be placed.
Mr Moulynox believed the date palm was Stawell’s biggest and oldest, and planted by a World War I digger.
“The house we just knocked down was brought off an old farm in 1925 – so it has been in Stawell for 90 years and probably had a life before that,” he said.
“We are wondering if one of the World War I diggers brought back seed and planted it here.”