Most River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) are beautifully twisted and gnarled, but there are a number that are unusually tall and straight stems in the Barmah forest on the Murray River.
They were often referred to as the Barmah Piles. They were sought out as “elite trees” for tree breeding purposes with the aim to grow straighter sawlogs.
“Code’s Pile” is named after William Code, Chairman of the Forests Commission, who reigned between 1925-1927.
Another on Island Lagoon was known as the “Assessors Pile”, but it fell in 1999.
A memorial plaque was unveiled 29 April 2000 on the fallen log as a tribute to well known, and well regarded, Forests Commission overseer, Jack Hutchinson, who died in 1997, and had spent most of his career in the Barmah Forest.
The plaque “commemorates the commitment of dedicated Foresters and Forest Managers to the ongoing conservation and sustainable management of the Barmah Forest”.
Jack was also awarded the Victorian Public Service Medal (PSM) in January 1992 for his outstanding contribution to forests management at Barmah.
Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage 
Thanks, Peter
Rob
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