Additional InformationIn 1918, Queensland Minister for Lands Mr Joshua Thomas Bell used his ministerial authority to legally protect a magnificent, giant Hoop Pine near Cooran along the Old Gympie Road. Universally known as the Minister's Tree and also Bell's Tree, he recognized its immense size and its value as a vital waypoint for travelers and bullock teams. He spared the landmark from the local timber industry's hungry saws, turning it into a protected living monument.
However, its legal protection could not shield it from nature. In October 1918, a fierce localized storm—described by Cooran residents as a mini-cyclone—ripped through the Noosa hinterland. The powerful winds funneled by the surrounding ridges proved too much for the giant pine, blowing it down at the height of the gale.
Though the great tree was physically lost that spring, the site continued to bear his name, preserving the legacy of the "Minister’s Tree" and "Bell's Tree" in local pioneer history.
