Eucalypt Australia Photo Competition 2025
The National Eucalypt Day photo competition is a celebration of Australia’s iconic trees, inviting photographers of all skill levels to capture the beauty and diversity of eucalypts. This competition highlights the vital role these trees play in our environment and culture.
2025 The Travel Edition
Congratulations to Geoff Murray, whose image “Styx Valley” taken in 1990 is the 🥇winner of the 2025 Eucalypt Australia Photography Competition to celebrate National Tree Day on the 27th of July 2025.
As in previous years, the 2025 entries set a challenging task for the judges, Eucalypt Australia Fellows Liz Edmonds, Phil Docherty and David Wong. Each judge brought a different perspective that influenced the decision-making process. We were all blown away by the interesting compositions, their relevance to the theme, and the adoration of the eucalypts that was displayed.
The judges found this “Styx Valley” incredibly evocative. They loved the balance and colour of this image, the identifiable clusters of threes, and the reflection of age as the tops drop out of the older trees.
For eucalypt lovers, the Styx Valley is akin to a pilgrimage, with some of it preserved within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area in 2013. The Styx Tall Trees Conservation Area contains incredible individuals such as Gandalf’s Staff and Two Towers and is a must on any Tassie itinerary.
The judges loved the contrasts and colour of this image, the display of resilience, and the interest of the termite mounds and the role termites play in the landscape.
Featuring C. citriodora and E. platyphylla, the Wild River Valley is nestled behind the Atherton tablelands, just south of Cairns. It represents a further exploration beyond these well-known travel hotspots into drier eucalypt forests compared to the wet forests of the Tablelands.
🥉 3rd place went to Neville Goldsmith who returned to Edward River Deniliquin in 2019 seeking places he saw as a child.
The judges loved the story of this photo, with its varying ages of the Red Gums, as well as the complex recent history revealed in the tracks, erosion, and willow on the bank. The image draws you to the central Red Gum but is then an invitation to explore so much more of the environment.
At the heart of Deni is the Edward River (Kolety), an anabranch of the mighty Murray, a kayaker’s paradise with gorgeous swimming beaches and a traveller’s gateway into Central NSW.
2024 Celebrating Urban Eucalypts
Congratulations to Guy Leung, winner of the 2024 Eucalypt Australia Photography Competition to celebrate Fascination of Plants Day on the 18th of May 2024.
With a theme of Celebrating Urban Eucalypts there was vigorous debate amongst the judges but we loved Guy Leung’s (@leunguy) delicate Jingymia Mallee (Eucalyptus synandra) with its soft colours framing the city of Perth as the sun is setting. Guy submitted a number of impressive entries with his nighttime city scapes equally enthralling.
Congratulations also go to @juliechamberlain96 and @sophie_wildflowers_photography.
The judges were drawn in by the mirrored colours and angles in Julie Chamberlain’s clever composition. They loved how the organic shapes of the Lemon-Scented Gum (Corymbia citriodora) break down the harsh lines of the city block.
Third place went to Sophie Xiang who captured this beautiful suburban moment during a morning walk. The judges loved how Sophie framed this every day scene with the other-worldly structure of the Mottlecah (Eucalyptus macrocarpa).
2022 Celebrating Eucalypt Landscapes
Congratulations to Geoff Murray @geoffmurray55, winner of this 2022’s #NationalEucalyptDay Photography Competition: #CelebratingEucalyptLandscapes! We were moved by the story of deep time told by Geoff’s photo of the Cider Gum graveyard in Tasmania, with the stars and southern lights in the background.
Congratulations must also go to @jen.fergy and @sally.b.photography for their cracking images of a tropical woodland along the Gibb River Road and Wandoo in the Great Western Woodlands.
2021 Winners and Runners Up
Winner – James Harris
James Harris’ beautiful image of Snow Gums (E. Pauciflora subsp. Acerina) on the Baw Baw Plateau near Mt Erica in Victoria.
Runner Up Colleen Hope
The photo was taken at Langi Ghiran State Park, on a misty morning in March. I was going out to sit with trees that are threatened with removal to make way for a freeway. Three trees, one which has been felled, are of significance to the first peoples of the area, and other concerned people. I arrived too late and access had been blocked by police and I was denied entry, so I went across the road and into the park and sat with the trees there as the morning mist was burned off by the warming day.
The name Langi Ghiran, Lar-ne-jeering in the local Djab Wurrung people’s language means ‘home of the Black Cockatoo’. It has steep granite peaks and gentle sloping open woodlands. River Red Gums, Yellow Box and Candlebark trees are scattered through the woodlands, with Messmate, Manna Gums and Red Strinybark in the mountains and Yarra Gums along the waterways.
This Park is a special place for me, having grown up in the shadow of her beauty, and a place I regularly wander.
Runner Up Guy Leung
Ready to Bloom
The big red macrocarpa, ready to burst into a stunning vibrant display attracting admirers and pollinators alike.