The Diamond Tree is a giant karri tree located 10 km south of Manjimup, Western Australia on the South Western Highway.
A wooden viewing platform built in 1939 is located 49 metres up, and was the oldest wooden platform fire look-out in use until its closure in 2019.[1][2]
The Diamond Tree was one of three lookout trees in the southern forests and was used as a fire lookout every summer from 1941 to 1973. The tower was used by the Department of Environment and Conservation to support aerial surveillance from time to time.[3][4]
The Diamond Tree was permanently closed[5] to climbing in 2019 after expert assessments found rot in the base of the tree and recommended all climbing should cease. The Gloucester Tree and Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree were also closed in 2023, citing a need for increased safety measures. It has not been ruled out that all three trees will remain closed permanently.[6]
- ^ "Lookout". The West Australian. Vol. 62, no. 18, 810. Western Australia. 26 October 1946. p. 4 (Second edition.). Retrieved 26 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Underwood, Roger (Roger John) (2016), Diamond Tree : celebrating a masterpiece of bush engineering, York Gum Publishing, retrieved 26 January 2022
- ^ Cumming, D.A. (Denis Arthur) (1995), Diamond Tree fire lookout near Manjimup, January 1995, retrieved 26 January 2022
- ^ HRRC (1969), Diamond Tree fire lookout near Manjimup, March 1969, retrieved 26 January 2022
- ^ "Diamond Tree | Explore Parks WA | Parks and Wildlife Service". parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ "Pemberton's Fire Lookout Climbing Trees". Pemberton Visitor Centre.