One woman was particularly incensed at a council proposal to cut down a row of jacaranda trees near the historic Como Hotel in 1991.
Irene Haxton labelled the plan as “sheer vandalism” before the council bowed to public pressure and the trees were saved.
The story of how Sister Haxton gave a jacaranda seed to the mother of every baby born at her Jacaranda Private Hospital in Woolooware, leading to a proliferation of the beautiful trees in the shire, is well known.
Not so well known is the way she added her voice to the protest which saved the beautiful trees at Como.
Sister Haxton (as she was still known) was in her 80s and the private hospital in English Street, Woolooware, had become an aged care facility when the 1991 controversy occurred.
A council report said many of the jacarandas lining Cremona Road were dying, and should be removed and replaced with Chinese tallows.
However, Sister Haxton inspected the trees and concluded they just needed fertiliser and careful pruning.
“It’s the heavy rain we’ve had that makes them look scruffy like that,” she said.
“All they need is some feeding and care and they will come on beautifully.”
About 60 residents packed the public gallery when Sutherland Shire Council met to discuss the matter.
Chris Downy, who was both a councillor and state MP for Sutherland, moved a motion for the trees to be retained.
“It’s a very special area and the local community was very concerned,” he said later.
“This area is a link with the past and those trees are an important part of that link.”
An insight into Sister Haxton’s distribution of jacaranda seeds was provided in a 2014 Leader story.
Warren Callender told how his family moved to English Street in the late 1940s, buying a block of land from the Haxtons, right next to Jacaranda Private Hospital, where the Haxton family also lived.
Mr Callender, who was five in 1948 when his father finished building their house, became firm friends with Paul Haxton, who was about the same age.
He said Sister Paxton was extremely busy, but always found time for the jacaranda seeds.
She would pile her son Paul and young Warren into the family car and drive for miles to places where the jacarandas grew.
"We would drive all over Sydney," Mr Callender said.
"There were a lot of trees on the Great Western Highway near Penrith.
“I don't know how she found out they were there, but going to Penrith was like going to another country."
The boys would climb the trees, collect the pods and enjoy a picnic by the roadside.
"Afterwards we would go door to door to get empty jam tins — we'd put in some dirt and a few seeds and water the tins," Mr Callender said.
"There was always a supply of jacaranda seedlings."
Mr Callender, a retired Qantas aircraft engineer, said, when mothers were leaving the hospital with their new babies, they were given a jam tin containing a seedling.
FLASHBACK FRIDAY
Every Friday we delve into the Leader archives to embark on some time travel.
We will bring you photographs of a news event from 57 years of Leader news coverage that you may or may not recall.
Flashback Friday submissions are also welcomed.
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