Summary
Gum trees stand as silent witness to time and place and the gum leaf endures as a symbol of resistance and belonging. It has been utilised in Kulin Nation ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremonies dating back thousands of generations, in which visitors were invited to sit on boughs of gum leaves. By participating in ceremony they agreed to follow local laws, after which they could place their feet upon the ground.
Today, we see continued use of gum leaves as central to the ‘Welcome to Country’ and smoking ceremonies by Senior Elders of both the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri peoples of Melbourne.
In its development as a city Melbourne simultaneously recognised the gum by incorporating the leaf into its City Logo thus reducing it to symbology whilst removing the actual gum trees of Kulin Country to create an urban landscape. The cities latest logo sees the leaf removed; its original design incorporated the gum leaf, a column and the letter M for Melbourne. Now a graphically bold M remains, but the gum leaf is gone.
The leaf remains carved into the Council’s Chamber, appearing on door frames, the ceiling, picture frames and this table. Leaves, gum nuts and bush are suspended in an architectural frieze, representing once lush bushland. Now, cultivated gardens and elms stand in place of the original gums.
