Historic Cork Tree

Tenterfield’s giant cork tree, still growing in Wood Street, was brought from England by Edward Parker in a jam tin in 1861. It is believed to be one of the largest Cork trees in Australia. Although not as old as some of the trees dotted around the English countryside, our Cork Tree flourishes in this New England climate, and continues to grow. It is hoped that it will continue to flourish and yield good luck to future generations, as in the past.

The Legend

Known as the Wishing Tree, as well as Cork Tree in English folklore, it is said that the trees are surrounded with a strange power to bring good luck to those who observe certain rituals dating back to the time of the Great Plague of London 1665. At that time, people came from all parts of the country to walk around the tree three times and as they walked, to make a wish. Some came for better health, some for better fortune and others for a wife or husband. It was said that few were disappointed.

Fortune Favours those who see
More in me than just a tree
Look at my cork
And three times walk
Before my girth for all to see

Cork – The Natural Choice

In addition to its ecological value, the Cork Oak is remarkable in that every part of the tree serves some useful economic purpose (although the most valuable part of the tree is the bark).

• 50% of the bark is used in stoppers for wine, champagne & fortified wines
• Bark from the tree’s first two harvests is used to make corkboard insulation and cork tiles
• Cork from the subsequent harvests is used for whole cork products – gaskets, hockey & golf balls, floor tiles etc.
• The acorn is used for propogation, animal fodder and cooking oils
• The leaves are used as fodder and natural fertiliser
• Tree prunings and old trees provide charcoal and firewood
• Various chemical products are made from tannins and natural acids contained in the wood
• Cork is also used for valves and insulation in buildings and railways – it is even found in the nose cone of NASA space shuttles.