Autumn Colour and Tall Trees at Hollybank

Overview

Hollybank Forest Reserve sits just north-east of Launceston, near Lilydale, and has a character that feels quite different from many other Tasmanian forest reserves. Instead of being made up only of native bush, it combines native forest with historic plantations, including large stands of European ash and other introduced trees. That mix gives the reserve a park-like feel in places, while still holding onto the scale and shade of a mature forest.

The reserve covers about 135 hectares and is managed by Sustainable Timber Tasmania. Over time it has developed as a multi-use forest, with walking areas, an arboretum and recreation spaces layered into an older working-forest landscape.

Highlights

The most distinctive thing about Hollybank is its mature planted forest. Many of the biggest trees were established for timber once intended for cricket bats and tennis racquets, and they now give the reserve an unusual look for Tasmania, especially where broad trunks and tall canopies create long, filtered corridors of light.

Autumn is a standout here because the exotic deciduous trees bring a strong change of colour that is uncommon in Tasmanian bush settings. Even outside that season, the contrast between native forest and historic plantings gives Hollybank a varied scenic character rather than a single, uniform landscape.

Best Time to Visit

Autumn is the clearest pick if you want to see Hollybank at its most distinctive, when the ash and other exotic species turn and the reserve takes on a much richer mix of gold and brown tones. It is one of the few places near Launceston where seasonal colour is such a big part of the experience.

At other times of year, the tall trees and cool shade still make it an appealing forest setting. Spring and early summer are especially pleasant when the reserve feels green and fresh, while the mature canopy keeps much of the area sheltered year round.

Plants and Animals

Hollybank is notable for its blend of native forest and planted species from the Northern Hemisphere. European ash is the best known of these plantings, but the reserve also includes species such as Corsican pine, Douglas fir, Californian redwood and radiata pine from different stages of its forestry history.

Because the reserve is so strongly defined by those plantings, the vegetation is part of what makes the place memorable. Reliable official material for this specific reserve says much more about its trees than about its wildlife, so the plants are the feature that stands out most clearly here.

Culture and Heritage

Hollybank’s heritage is closely tied to forestry and land use change. Timber was being sourced here in the nineteenth century, and in 1933 the area was taken over by Ash Plantations Ltd, which planted more than 109,000 ash trees for sporting-goods timber. By 1955 the Forestry Commission had taken over management, and in later decades the reserve shifted toward a broader public role with walking areas, an arboretum and other recreation uses added into the landscape.