Our scarf has always had a brown background with two 13mm deep yellow stripes 13mm apart and from the edge. The exact reason for the colour choice is now lost to history and unknown by our founding Leaders, but the accepted legend is that the brown represents the earth of the farms and nurseries that had been in the area, with the yellow representing the gold wattle that once grew in the area, the Acacia parramattensis.

Acacia parramattensis (Parramatta Wattle) is a slender, fast‑growing Sydney native tree with fine, fern‑like foliage and soft yellow, fluffy flowers. It typically grows as a small to medium tree, usually 7–12m tall in Sydney gardens, though it can reach 15m in ideal bushland conditions. It tends to grow narrow and upright with a lightly branched canopy, giving it a graceful, airy appearance. 

The foliage consists of true bipinnate leaves. These are fine, feathery, and fern‑like, giving the tree a soft texture. They are mid‑green to bright green, sometimes slightly yellow‑green in full sun. Many small leaflets are arranged symmetrically along the stem length. A useful identifying feature of Acacia parramattensis is the long internodes on its slender branchlets; the next leaf or branch often emerges about one‑third of the way along the stem between adjacent nodes, giving the tree its characteristic open, airy structure.

The flowers appear in late spring to summer, often November–February in Sydney. They form small, spherical, fluffy flower heads (typical wattle pom‑poms) and their colour ranges from pale yellow to bright yellow, depending on age and exposure. Flower clusters occur along the stems, creating a soft, glowing effect when the tree is in full bloom.

Young stems are greenish and slender, which becomes grey‑brown as the tree matures.

After flowering, the tree may produce seed pods that are narrow and elongated, typically brown when mature. The pods contain small, hard seeds typical of Acacia species.

How to grow an Acacia parramattensis

Firstly, you will need some Acacia parramattensis seeds, which can be purchased in bulk from specialist native plant nurseries. The seeds have a hard outer coat and remain dormant until the casing is damaged by heat or abrasion. In nature this often happens after fire, but boiling‑water treatment works reliably for home propagation.

Place about 5 seeds in a ceramic mug or bowl. Boil some water, let it rest to stop violently bubbling and then pour it over the seeds into the mug/bowl, filling up to about the half-way point. Leave the seeds to soak in this water for 24 hours.

Place a low-nutrient native plant mix into a series of small pots for each seed (don't use a high-nutrient mix - Acacia parramattensis doesn't like that). Sow each seed about 5-10mm deep and lightly water, allowing it to drain away. The Acacia parramattensis seedling likes the soil to be moist, but not waterlogged. Monitor the pots daily to check and water as required to ensure soil moisture.

Germination usually takes under a month, with a cute tiny single fern-like frond starting to appear from the soil (usually green, sometimes red/purple). Provide bright light but try to avoid harsh midday sun for very young seedlings. When seedlings reach 10-15cm in height, it is time to transplant into ground soil. See further below for some suggested placement guidelines.

Acacia parramattensis tends to produce a tap-like root from which other roots will start to spread. It is particuarly senstive to root disturbance and a seedling may show extremely visible signs of distress for a few weeks after transplanting. Try to minimise root disturbance by transplanting the entire contents into the soil as a single "block" of dirt. The best time for transplanting is late winter to early spring so that the roots establish before the summer heat. Acacia parramattensis prefers well-drained loam, sandy loam, or clay loam along with more of the native plant mix. Avoid low-lying areas where water pools. Dig the hole and plant the seedling then mulch around its base to retain moisture in the soil (but without mulch touching the trunk itself). Water very well the first time in the soil but then do not water for another day or two until the soil has dried (unless there is an unseasonal heatwave) - the seedlings will be stressed at this point and need to concentrate on recovery (not growth).

Your seedling may look very sick, droopy, closing up its leaves, or look like it is dying during the first week or two of planting, particuarly if it experienced some root disturbance. Don't despair; continue to monitor it daily and water on the days when the top 2-3cm of soil looks dry. All being well, it will gradually start to return to its previous state.

Following this, water it lightly and regularly through the first summer and gradually reduce your watering frequency and quantity until watering by rainfall is sufficient. Supplement watering if the seedling looks like it is not coping on reduced watering, but remember to not overwater.

Placement Guidelines and Growth Expectations

Acacia parramattensis grows 2–15m tall depending on conditions. It is fast-growing, drought-tolerant (once established), and long-lived (generally 15-20 years). Placement of your tree is recommended to be:

• At least 4–6 m from water pipes, sewer lines, and stormwater drains. While not known for aggressive roots like figs, its fast growth and moderate size mean roots will seek moisture.
• 3–5 m from house foundations, retaining walls, and paved areas.
• In full sun to light shade.
• On well-drained ground, not in depressions.
• Away from overhead power lines if you expect it to reach the upper range (10–15m).

Avoid placing it:

• Directly over underground services (water, sewer, stormwater).
• Within 2m of fences if you don’t want leaf litter or shading issues.
• Within 1m of any other shrub, plant or tree.
• In narrow garden beds where its eventual width (2–3m) becomes problematic.
• In constantly wet soils — it dislikes waterlogging.

Growth expectations are indicated below, based on a Sydney climate and suburban garden soil profile.

Note: These are estimated averages; trees in poorer soils may remain 4–8m, while those in deep loams may reach the upper range.

Earth, farms and nurseries

The area is a well‑developed suburban landscape now, but it was historically an important agricultural region. Ermington, Rydalmere, Dundas, and the broader Parramatta district were major sites for orchards, market gardens, poultry farms, nurseries and dairies. This remained true well into the 1940s–1960s, and this significance is remembered in our current times through some of our local street names.

The names Bennett, Spurway, Bartlett and Delaware honour farmers or the farm/orchard boundaries that once existed in the area. Meanwhile, Swane reflects the Swane family’s historic nursery in nearby Melrose Park, and Yates honours a prominent horticulturalist whose seed company had a strong presence in the Parramatta district.