The Faeries Tree, Melbourne — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Deep in the leafy pathways of Fitzroy Gardens, a tree stump has been home to an enchanted community of gnomes, fairies, koalas, and flying foxes since the early 1930s. The Faeries Tree was carved by sculptor Ola Cohn between 1931 and 1934, transforming the stump of a Red Gum tree into a magical tableau of Australian and European folklore creatures living together in wooden harmony. Cohn was so inspired by her creation that she wrote a children's book called "The Fairies Tree," bringing the carved characters to life in illustrated stories that delighted young readers. The level of detail in the carvings is remarkable: tiny faces peer from behind bark, miniature doors suggest hidden homes within the trunk, and Australian native animals mingle with traditional European fairy folk in a cross-cultural fantasy world. In the 1970s, when the aging stump showed signs of decay, the trunk was carefully extracted and chemically preserved to protect Cohn's delicate carvings from further deterioration. Today, the tree sits on a concrete base with a protective fence, a necessary compromise between preservation and the desire of every child who visits to reach out and touch the fairy doors. The Faeries Tree has been delighting Melbourne families for nearly a century, creating a tradition where parents bring their children to discover the same magical creatures they found as kids. Questo's Fitzroy Gardens trail leads you to this whimsical treasure where imagination carved itself into wood.