Entries open for the 2023 Shoalhaven Eucalypt Photo Competition

[Photo credit: Brett M Young - Myola Scribbly Gum hollow]

Following huge success in 2022, the Shoalhaven Eucalypt Photo Competition is back, and entries are now open.  

The competition is held to celebrate National Eucalypt Day (23 March) to increase awareness of eucalypts and their importance to the natural environment. 

Judges are searching for the most striking images of Eucalyptus, Corymbia or Angophora trees located within the Shoalhaven local government area and there’s a range of prizes available, including a $250 voucher from Holiday Haven and a double pass to the magical stage production of Possum Magic at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. All winners will take home a grafted dwarf flowering gum tree from a local native nursery. 

This year’s judges include Shoalhaven Mayor Amanda Findley and local landscape photographer Belinda Doyle.  

“National Eucalypt Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate both the beautiful natural environment of the Shoalhaven and the photographic talents of our locals,” said Mayor Amanda Findley. 

“Whether you’re a professional or amateur photographer, we want to see the beauty of the eucalypt through your lens,” said Cr Findley.  

“The 2022 photo competition received 122 entries and I’m excited to see what we receive this year, particularly because we are another year post-bushfire and the re-generation in our locally endemic eucalypts is becoming increasingly apparent,” she said.  

Native to Australia, there are over 900 species of eucalypt that can be found surviving from the frosty winters of the Snowy Mountains to the sweltering summers of the Northern Territory.  

Exquisite in their variations of bark, blossoms, leaves and fruit, eucalypts are vital for the survival of other flora and fauna species that rely on these trees for food, shelter and protection. Eucalypts provided many uses for Indigenous communities including bark for making canoes and wood for food gathering, as well as for medicinal purposes. 

Entries can be made online on Council’s website before the competition closes Friday 21 April.  Terms and conditions can be found on the Shoalhaven Council Get Involved Website.