Thank you ~ Tess Barreiro

I have always loved trees, my childhood home backed onto a reserve so I grew up exploring through the forest, trying to spot koalas in the eucalyptus trees (I did) and platypuses in the creek (I did not). 

In early 2019, my wife and I began looking for a house to buy, a house that we could raise our two children in. All we knew was that it had to have trees, ideally eucalyptus trees (one of my hobbies is learning to identify different species of eucalyptus trees). We found a run down, falling apart old house in the hills on an acre of overgrown bush land. We fell in love immediately. Even though the house and land needed a huge amount of work, to be surrounded by a mini forest was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Around the same time the Melbourne Arboretum put up a post about the painting ‘For the Love of Trees’ and how it would soon be put to auction to raise money for the Arboretum. The painting spoke to me in such a way and I knew it belonged in our new house.

I think Eucalyptus trees are some of the most beautiful trees in the world. We have over 700 species here in Australia, from the giant Eucalyptus Ragnans to the tiny and delicate Eucalyptus Pauciflora. From River Red Gums to Snow Gums. They grow everywhere across our beautiful country. 

So thank you to the Melbourne Arboretum and Sue O’Sullivan for this amazing artwork. 

Tess

Ps. Right now it’s hanging in my dining/living room but I may change my mind!