Royal Society of Victoria Palm Tree

In June 1925, the Palm Tree in the reserve surrounding the Royal Society of Victoria building in Exhibition Street was removed, along with the other trees. 

The Argus, had this interesting article on the tree removals -

More Trees Destroyed. Clearing Royal Society Reserve.

Men are busy removing the trees that surround the Royal Society of Victoria's building, at the intersection of Exhibition street and Victoria street. The building is in a large triangular reserve and it is stated, it is intended to remove all the trees and replace them with lawns. For a long time the reserve has needed cleaning up, for some beautiful trees, notably one palm, have been hidden by ugly, misshapen trees. The reason for removing all the trees, however, is hard to understand. No one could claim that the Royal Society's building, which will be exposed, has a beauty that justifies conspicuousness. The trees also served to hide, or at least to make less noticeable, the many undesirable buildings that face the reserve. The trees partly hid these buildings from the Exhibition Gardens, and from Victoria street; now the view of them will be uninterrupted. The caretaker's cottage on the reserve, surrounded by an ugly paling fence, will also be disclosed.

The work of removing the trees was begun at the end of last week, and a bonfire of trees was burning last night.

I don't have a photograph of the Palm Tree, but the image immediately below, from 1875, shows some of the vegetation surrounding the building, which clearly The Argus, did not think was very attractive. The Royal Society building was opened in 1859 and constructed of red brick which was rendered in 1880.

The Royal Society of Victoria building, in 1875.

Detail of Views from the Gaelic Church, Rathdown Street, 1875. Photographer: Charles Nettleton. 

State Library of Victoria image H88.22/23. https://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/132488

The Royal Society of Victoria building in 1933, eight years after the removal of the 

Palm and other trees. 

Royal Society of Victoria, 1933. Photographer: John Kinmont Moir.

State Library of Victoria image H4890

What is interesting is the headline of the article - More Trees Destroyed. Clearing Royal Society Reserve. The removal of trees in the City, was apparently an on-going and news-worthy matter; for good reason, as you can see how bare the Royal Society Reserve looked in 1933.

Sources

• Article is from The Argus, June 24, 1925, see here.
• The History of the Royal Society of Victoria building is from their website - https://www.rsv.org.au/