Gloucester Tree

Before the introduction of spotter planes to look out for fires, a network of fire lookout trees spread out across the south-west forests. From the top of these trees, foresters used to scan the landscape around them for the first signs of fire. Selecting the tree Foresters selected the Gloucester Tree to use as a fire lookout in 1947. It was one of eight lookouts built in the south-west between 1937 and 1952. To determine its suitability as a lookout tree, forester Jack Watson climbed it using climbing boots and a belt. It took him a gruelling six hours to reach 58 metres high and return.