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Fremantle Council voted to remove the Moreton Bay fig at 195 High Street from its Significant Tree Register on February 14, 2024—but reversed that decision two weeks later and restored the tree to the register. The City says any future consideration of the tree must come through a formal development application; no redevelopment approval is established by the available sources.
What happened to the Fremantle fig?
The tree stands on private property at 195 High Street. City of Fremantle material describes it as a Moreton Bay fig, Ficus macrophylla, approximately 130 years old. A heritage comment prepared for the register review says Fremantle nurseryman Phillip Webster planted it beside his house in the late 1880s; the source gives an approximate period, not an exact planting year. City heritage assessment
On February 14, 2024, Council voted to remove the fig from the Significant Tree Register after its owners requested removal. PerthNow reported that the owners said the listing deterred potential buyers and contributed to financial hardship. City officers had recommended retaining the tree for its heritage value. The vote drew public protest. PerthNow’s report on the initial vote
On February 28, Council reversed course and restored the fig to the register. The City said the tree’s future could be considered only through a formal development application assessed on its merits, with heritage significance considered alongside contemporary redevelopment. Council also reaffirmed assistance to the owners with maintenance and directed a review of the Significant Tree Register. City of Fremantle: tree protection and Council decision
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Why did residents protest?
The dispute brought together competing concerns: the owners’ reported difficulty selling the property and financial hardship; the City officers’ view that the fig had heritage value; and residents’ calls to protect an established tree. Some councillors and the mayor also questioned how a tree on private land had been placed on the register and what that process meant for property owners.
PerthNow reported that about 150 residents gathered to protest and that a petition had more than 11,000 signatures by the morning of February 28. Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said: “The commitment to preserve urban canopy is a Council priority and the expectation of a large section of the Fremantle community.” She also acknowledged discomfort with how the tree was transferred from the heritage register to the significant tree register, while saying the intention was to protect it for its heritage value. PerthNow’s report on the community response
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- Categories: US State & Town Views,California,Santa Barbara
- Type: Postcard
- Size: 4.25" x 6" (11 x 15.25 cm)
- Postmark: 1982 Jan-14 Los Angeles CA
- Artist: Art Locker
Could the site be redeveloped while keeping the fig?
PerthNow reported that Councillor Adin Lang presented architectural drawings that he said showed a possible design with up to 30 apartments and 34 car bays while retaining the fig and heritage building. That was a design concept described in the report, not an approved project. Fremantle architect Simon Pendal told PerthNow: “To design around these substantial pieces of landscape is not rocket science, it takes a little bit of care.” PerthNow’s report on the design concept
The City’s stated pathway is a formal development application, which would be assessed on its merits and consider heritage alongside redevelopment. The sources cited here do not establish that an application has been approved, that the reported concept was submitted as an application, or what any future assessment would decide.
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Rank #3
Was the tree’s registration disputed?
Yes. PerthNow reported that Councillor Adin Lang said Council had received legal advice that the 2019 listing was not illegal; the owners disputed that view. The underlying advice is not reproduced in the available reporting, and the sources do not establish a court or independent legal finding resolving the disagreement. PerthNow’s report on the owners’ dispute
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the tree now?
The City’s published account establishes the February 2024 reversal, the tree’s return to the Significant Tree Register, and the formal application pathway. The cited sources do not establish whether the fig is still physically present, its current condition, whether redevelopment activity has occurred, or the outcome of the register review. They therefore do not support a claim about its present physical state.
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- Categories: US State & Town Views,California,Santa Barbara
- Type: Postcard
- Size: 3.5" x 5.5" (9 x 14 cm)
- Publisher: Santa Barbara Post Card Co.
- Artist: Dave Mills
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