Aussie Enviro

There's an old idiom I still hear every now and then that pops up in relation to eucalyptus trees - 'widow makers'.

An old colloquialism not exclusively applied to eucalypts, it is used to describe anything that could quickly kill a man, leaving a widow behind.

Because most forestry workers in those days were males, the falling branches were dubbed widow makers.

While they got - and continue to get - a bad rap, it's not just eucalyptus trees that can become dangerous.

What makes eucalypts different from other trees is their abundance.

"Let's remember, these were native forests they were harvesting so most of the trees were eucalypts."

"Yes, there were other trees out there, like the casuarina, but the eucalypts were also the species the harvesters wanted because they're the best-quality tree."