Eucalypt Australia Photo Competition

The quality of the entries made the task for our judges, 2018 Dahl Medalist Ian Roberts, 2024 Fellow Geri Barr and 2025 Fellow Jess Harwood, tremendously challenging, yet somehow Honkey Nut Feast was at the top of everyone’s list!

Naidu shared the following about his image:

“What I love most about capturing this image is the visual harmony and the intimate, quiet moment it preserves. The intricate, striking patterns of the female Red-tailed Black Cockatoo’s plumage contrast beautifully with the earthy greens and subtle reds of the Marri tree.This photograph directly speaks to the “Our Eucalypt Home” theme by illustrating the inseparable bond between our native wildlife and their environment. While the cockatoo is the undeniable star of my frame, the Marri tree (Corymbia calophylla) is its vital foundation. By freezing the crisp detail of the bird expertly maneuvering that heavy ‘honkey nut,’ the image demonstrates how the eucalypt acts as a crucial pantry and lifeline, making this environment a true home.”

The judges loved the direct communication to the theme; the focus on the Marri foliage in the foreground to the right and the casuarina in the background giving ecological context.

🥈2nd prize was awarded to Marianne Broug for her “Yellow-footed Antechinus in a dead Eucalyptus tree.”  Marianne reflected on the image: “Although they may appear lifeless, dead eucalyptus trees are among the richest wildlife habitats in the Australian bush. This Antechinus was a female and I watched her for at least ten minutes as she ran up and down the tree, carrying leaves and other material from the bush floor, to build a nest in her hollow.”

The judges loved the composition of the photo, fell in love naturally with the Antechinus, and resonated with the benefits of keeping our old trees, both alive and dead.

Geri Barr loved Tanja Kubitza’s “A living home”.  Tanja shares (abridged): “What I love most about this photograph is the story it tells about belonging: At first glance, the tawny frogmouth family of five is almost invisible, blending seamlessly into the branches of the eucalypt. Like so many birds, bats and other native species, they find shelter, safety and a place to raise their young within its embrace. …For millions of years, eucalypts have shaped Australia’s landscapes and ecosystems. They have endured droughts, fires and storms, standing as witnesses to change while continuing to provide refuge for countless forms of life. We often see a eucalypt as a single tree, but in reality it is an entire world, supporting an intricate web of relationships that extends far beyond its trunk and leaves….“

Geri: This charming and unique family portrait of tawny frogmouths taken in their eucalypt home expresses the theme perfectly and tells a story of generational living connection to eucalypts. Notoriously difficult to photograph due to their excellent camouflage, the photographer has produced an image with exceptional composition, with the subject matter engaged and in close range, revealing intricate details which are often difficult to see.

Judges’ Commendations 2026

Jess Harwood really resonated with Benjamin Wagner’s “Next Generation Eucalypts”.  Benjamin shares (abridged) “The photo was taken during fieldwork via drone near Lake Mountain. It shows a mature stand of alpine ash burned and killed in the 2008 Black Saturday bushfires with it’s well developed regeneration regrowing from seed beneath. The almost snow-white dead stems stand in stark contrast to the lush green regeneration, that is now over 15 years old and reaching reproductive maturity themselves. To me the image incites hope and fascination about the great resilience of our obligate seeder eucalypt forests and how they deal with extreme and catastrophic fire events…forests like these provide important ecosystem values, such as water provision for the nearby towns and carbon storage. Without thriving forests, a lot of our current lifestyle could not exist…“

Jess loved the composition of the photo but also felt that it had a really important story to tell of both vulnerability and resilience.

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.