Find Magic Beneath Maryborough’s Banyan Tree

Step into a living fairy tale under the sprawling embrace of the banyan tree in Maryborough’s Queen’s Park. It is one of the finest easily accessed banyan specimens of ficus benghalensis, a rare species in Australia, but used to be much bigger.

The grand specimen, planted in 1870, has spread its branches over generations of citizens in laughter, love and the endless games of hide-and-seek. Its massive roots twist and turn, forming secret nooks for curious explorers, while its towering canopy offers shade for picnics, daydreams, or a quiet moment with nature.

In 2016 the council decided to give it a bit of a trim and tidy-up in an attempt to control misuse, lopping more than 600 square meters from the canopy. That proved expensive with a hefty heritage-transgression fine after an outcry from outraged citizens. It’s growing again but will take another half a century to regain its former expanse.

Underneath its branches, a new harmony awaits. A playful interactive addition to beneath-the-banyan has been an array of musical instruments nestled in its shade, inviting young and old to create their own symphony of chiming melodies.