September 10th, 2026Biyal: Guildford Big Tree story continues

Castlemaine Art Museum is hosting an exhibition honouring the Guildford Biyal (Red gum) and works created from its timber.
Known locally as the Guildford Big Tree and recognised as the National Trust’s 2023 Victorian Tree of the Year, the Biyal is deeply significant to Dja Dja Wurrung People. It predates colonisation, and its grafted branch signifies it as a marker tree.
In February 2024, the Biyal dropped a significant limb. This was a pivotal event for Dja Dja Wurrung People and the broader community.
BIYAL, an initiative of DJAARA’s Guildford Biyal Project, is the culmination of a two-year journey to honour the fallen timber through the creation of art, artefacts and through storytelling.
Artists have been commissioned to produce artworks from the timber and inspired by the Biyal for the exhibition, which will also include non-commissioned pieces created by members of the community.
BIYAL intends to honour this ancient tree and its ability to bring connection and healing to Dja Dja Wurrung People, mob living on Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country), and the broader community.
Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO Cassandra Lewis said the exhibition reflected what happened when Traditional Owners were empowered to determine the way cultural resources were honoured and shared.
“Dja Dja Wurrung People have a cultural responsibility to honour the resources given by Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country), and that responsibility has shaped every decision we have made about the timber given by the Biyal,” Ms Lewis said.
“We are proud of what has been created in good spirit, with respect to our ancestors and the significance they placed on this tree by turning it into a cultural marker.
“The tree has brought people together for hundreds of years, and BIYAL continues that legacy, so we are proud to share this work with the community.”
Dja Dja Wurrung woman Kerri Douglas, one of the first on the scene after the limb fell, and part of the Guildford Biyal Project team, said that despite the devastation of the moment, she knew the community would come together to honour a tree that holds something for everyone.
“To see that Djaara have shared this with other mob, and our friends and allies in the community has bought some great discussions about how we are connected and have much love for the Biyal,” Ms Douglas said.
“I look forward to seeing the magnificence of the artworks created, from the smallest daanak (coolamon) to the largest pieces – as each has a story of the Biyal.”
Castlemaine Art Museum CEO Leslie Gurusinghe said the museum was fortunate to work alongside DJAARA to host such a significant exhibition for the First Nations community on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.
“To stand as a meeting place, a place for reflection and a space for learning, these are all things that we value deeply and are at the core of our offering as a gallery,” Mr Gurusinghe said.
“So much time and energy has been poured into this work from all corners of the community – we hope that you will join us over the course of the exhibition and leave with a sense of the generosity that has been shared here in honour of this very special landmark tree.”
The exhibition is free and open until Sunday, November 29.
The Castlemaine Art Museum is at 14 Lyttleton St, Castlemaine.

Above: The Biyal’s grafted branch marking this as a special place for Dja Dja Wurrung People
Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Contributed