New Tree Species
Cabbage Tree Palm (Livistona australis)
Plum Pine (Podocarpus elatus)
New & retaining Brushbox Trees (Lophostemon confertus)
Tree & Palm Management Plan
Park Improvements
As part of the wider upgrade to Barwell Park, including a new playspace and pathways, Council will also be improving the park’s trees and gardens. These works will ensure the park remains safe, welcoming, and true to its original heritage design.
Refurbishment of existing garden plantings along Bruce Street, including removal of inappropriate and weed tree / shrub species, with new ornamental display plants in keeping with the park’s heritage era
New formal garden beds evoking the original park design, with sandstone edging associated with the proposed new formal path layout in the lower part of the park
Replacement of existing pine log edging around rectangular gardens with sandstone edging, and new ornamental display plantings in keeping with the park’s heritage era
Provision of formal edging to boundary plantings to the north of the site, with new low shrubs and groundcovers
Current Site Images:
New Trees & Future Planting
The park will benefit from new formal ornamental plantings that enhance shade, provide habitat for native birds, and reflect the park’s historic garden layout.
These species will be planted in positions that reinforce the park’s open character and formality, while ensuring long-term health and canopy cover.
New trees & plants include:
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Indicative Plant Species for Formal Garden Beds
Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinensis sp.)
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Gardenias (Gardenia augusta Florida)
Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica ‘Lemon Lime’)
Dwarf Indian Hawthorn (Raphiolepsis indica ‘Snow Maiden’)
African Lilly (Agapanthus sp.)
Old Trees to Be Replaced
WHY?: A recent Arborist Report and the 2014 Conservation Management Plan identified several trees that are either in poor health, nearing the end of their lifespan, or considered environmental weed species. Removing these trees will make way for healthier, more suitable plantings.
These restoration works are guided by expert arborists and heritage specialists to ensure Barwell Park’s trees are safe, healthy, and environmentally appropriate for the long term.
Tree removals include:
Cocos (Queen) Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana), listed as an environmental weed. These will be replaced with native Cabbage Tree Palms in positions consistent with the park’s heritage layout.
Current Site Images:
Further Information:
Native to South America, Cocos or Queen Palms - Syagrus romanzoffiana – were planted in Barwell Park during the 1980’s. They were widely promoted throughout Australia at the time, but have since become known as an invasive plant in Australia, a problem in eucalypt forests, rainforests and along stream banks and waterways where they compete with native plants. Flying foxes and other animals eat the fruit and spread the seed. Seeds can also spread in water and dumped garden waste.
Cocos palms are a listed weed in the North Coast region of NSW and in Queensland (refer Department of Primary Industries – NSW Weedwise)
The 1980’s park specimens were planted in positions prior to any research into the original park and planting layout - information that was subsequently researched and compiled for the 2014 Conservation Management Plan (CMP). The Arborist report supports their removal.
It is planned to remove this problematic species and plant environmentally appropriate advanced Cabbage Tree Palms – Livistona australis - in new positions, in keeping with the original park layout, it’s heritage character and Conservation Management Plan recommendations.
The two Camphor Laurel trees (Cinnamomum camphora), a declared invasive species in parts of NSW.
The Bruce Street tree has significant decay and poor form due to previous lopping.
The Wallace Street tree has regrown from multiple stems and is damaging nearby sandstone steps and walls.
Current Site Images:
Further Information:
Camphor Laurel - Cinnamomum camphora – is a highly invasive evergreen tree in Australia, endemic to China and Japan. It readily adapts to disturbed environments, has prolific seed production, rapid growth rate and is not suscepitble to serious diseases. Camphor laurel is a declared noxious weed in northern NSW where it has colonised vast tracks of land and invaded bushland, often forming single species communities excluding most other tree species, including desirable native vegetation. Birds and other fauna readily eat the fruit and disperse the seeds.
For more information refer to Department of Primary Industries – NSW Weedwise
The two Camphor Laurel trees (T3 and T7 on the Tree and Palm Management Plan) have been heavily lopped in the past, and set seed in garden beds off Bruce St. The tree off Bruce St was heavily lopped in the past, has poor form as a result, and exhibits a lot of decay. The tree off Wallace St was cut down to ground level some years ago, but subsequently regenerated with multiple tree trunks formed from multiple suckering stems from the roots, and is damaging the adjacent sandstone steps/ walls. The Arborist report recommends both specimens be removed due to poor form, decay and weed species issues.
Aging Eucalypts (Eucalyptus nicholii and Eucalyptus scoparia) planted in the 1980s–90s. These species are not native to the Sydney region and have shown long-term decline from fungal disease.
Current Site Images:
Further Information:
Eucalyptus (Gum) trees planted in the park in the 1980’s were largely Eucalyptus nicholli and Eucalyptus scoparia. Both species are not endemic to the Sydney region, and have proved susceptible to fungal attack and decline over the last few decades, including in Barwell Park. Many such park trees have progressively been removed from the park over the last two decades.
The 2014 Conservation Management Plan (CMP) identified native tree plantings generally dating to the 1980’s to 1990’s as out of character with the original planting layout or character of the park and supported their removal as they continued to decline. The 2025 Arborist report supports their removal.
The Brushbox (Lophostemon confertus) specimens within the park and all street trees will be retained.
