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REDGUMS

MT STURGEON, WESTERN DISTRICT, VICTORIA

IMAGE NUMBER 942

Mt Sturgeon Station in the Southern Grampians of Victoria, was established by Dr Robert Martin in 1839. It is one of Australia's iconic merino wool producers.  After Martin's ownership, Mt Sturgeon became the jewel in the crown of the Armytage rural empire - although the family seldom visited from their urban mansion "Como" in Melbourne.  Mt Sturgeon's bluestone homestead is the essence of the Western District “squattocracy”. In the 1980's it was purchased by the billionaire, Alan Myers, the son of the local butcher, who has a passion for the village of Dunkeld which nestles outside the station. 

For Atticus, the most exciting things about the property are the red gums beneath Mt Sturgeon, many of them hundreds of years old. There is is nothing like them elsewhere. They are the mightiest trees in Australia, notwithstanding the tourist promos of other districts.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 200th of a second and an aperture of f8.  Schneider Kreuznach 80mm lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.