Figtree is a suburb in the Wollongong Local Government Area...in the shadows of the towering and spectacular Illawarra Escarpment, Figtree is a western suburb of Wollongong.
The giant Figtree originally growing at this place gave rise to the name of the township. The figtree was at a very important road junction, and thus became a well-known landmark. When travellers were being directed to or from Sydney in the early days, the best way of describing the route was to tell them to "turn off at the figtree". The size of the Morton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla) meant it was used for early navigation by early Europeans. Governor Macquarie used this road for his return trip to Sydney in 1822.
'Fig Tree Park' was proclaimed in November 1903 for the specific purpose of preserving what was known as 'The Illawarra Fig Tree'. Prior to this the tree was a significant landmark to local Aborigines (the Timberry family in particular) as a 'birthing tree', food gathering area and meeting place.
As the health of the tree deteriorated, a cutting was taken from the tree in 1985 and nurtured by the Botanic Gardens. The tree had to be cut down in 1996 as it was rotten and unstable. Restoring the park then became a community-based environmental project organised by the Council, BHP and Transgrid. The result was the opening of the newly landscaped 'Morton Bay Figtree Park' on 11 February 1998, with the planting of the cutting taken from the tree in 1985 and the unveiling of a mosaic telling the Aboriginal story of the Yaroma.
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