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Statement of Significance

The rich, fertile soil, temperate climate and the interest of many of its citizens in things botanical, has resulted in the Toowoomba region’s ability to grow a wide range of indigenous and non-indigenous plants. In 1860, the area was the first to hold an Agricultural Show in Queensland – 15 years before Brisbane. Walter Hill, the then Government Botanist and first curator of the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, travelled to Toowoomba to advise with the design and planning of Queen's Park and street plantings in Toowoomba. He subsequently imported many tree species from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world to be planted there. Hill Street in Toowoomba is named in his honour. The town attracts many visitors in September for its famous Carnival of Flowers, where people come from near and far to enjoy Toowoomba’s many parks and gardens.
Samuel Stephens, a Toowoomba businessman and major public benefactor, purchased ten acres of house blocks in 1931 and developed it into planted parkland. He donated it to the citizens of Toowoomba in 1934. Whilst developing the park, Stephens had an interest in plants from south-east Asia and imported plants from Japan, China and the rest of the region. The park is a relic of the curiosity and generosity of Samuel Stephens. This oak was planted by Stephens before he donated the park to Toowoomba. It has vigorous growth. The seven spreading branches were cut back to 2-3 metres long many years ago and the tree is producing an uncoordinated multitude of new shoots and branches.
The tree is of horticultural or genetic value, as it is one of the few, truly rainforest adapted oaks (thick leathery evergreen leaves with drip tips, smooth thin grey bark). This tree sets acorns, which are enclosed in acorn cups (cupules) with several rings of fused scales. This puts it into the south-east Asian subgroup of the oaks Cyclobalanopsis, which is regarded as a separate genus by Chinese and some other botanists. It is an important source of seed or propagating stock, as it is probably the only representative of this species of oak in Australia. Possibly as the only example of its kind in Australia, it is in a unique location or context. It make an important contribution to landscape in this historic park and is associated with an important person, Samuel Stephens, founder of Laurel Bank Park, who had an interest in plants from south-east Asia and imported plants from Japan, China and the rest of the region whilst developing the park. It is an aesthetically pleasing dense, dark, evergreen tree and the only example of its kind in the area.
The tree is located west of the park's hall, near Hill Street.