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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

THE DAY THE RED TREE BURNT


Sometime in August the REDreadTREE was graffitied with faux Aboriginal type marks. Was this a poor attempt to blame shift? Then in the early hours of 18th September 1996 the REDreadTREE was set on fire and destroyed. On site there were burnt off branched scattered about and a burnt out stump. Some people set about trying to find the culprits. But what were they going to do with them? Get them to put the REDreadTREE back?

Perhaps this REDreadTREE was telling these chaps something that was unwelcomed? One day someone will ask them maybe?

Rumour has it that the culprits are now quite well known some years on. It seems that if you do do something like this and get a little drunk at the local you are enclined to boast a little. Almost nothing goes unnoticed in Tasmania.

Interestingly, the photograph here was provided by a photo journalist – Simon Wearne – who was just happening to be passing by. Any other burning tree in the Midlands might go relatively unnoticed but this one one had a story. The story of the REDreadTREE burning made the Examiner & Mercury and all the TV & radio news broadcasts in Tasmania. So did the original painting.

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