The tree flowered and sheltered a fire ring that hosted many camp oven roasts. In the five years I was in Emerald, ‘Warren’ grew quickly to about four metres in height. The fuzzy box tree that he planted in the football ground car park in Emerald in 1990 was later unceremoniously translocated to the back yard of the Central Queensland News journalist Fred Wild, where it grew into a tree affectionately and widely known as ‘Warren’. I would like to remember Warren by celebrating his significant contribution to conservation in Queensland. Says Martin, “Warren Zevon will be ten years dead on 7 September 2013. “Forestry was seeking coverage for the Natureline, a corridor of trees being planted around the town of Emerald to reduce spray drift from cotton spraying around the margins of town. Fred Wild, aka Mr Natureline, got all sorts of famous people to plant trees to publicise the scheme.” Martin relates how Zevon had earlier in the day planted a tree in the car park - a temporary location for the publicity photo shoot with the Queensland Forestry Department (who Martin then worked for) and Central Queensland News. Zevon played two songs at the concert, which was held at the football grounds. Tour lists do not mention that Zevon had briefly ventured off the coastal strip, accompanying The Little River Band when they visited Emerald to play at a charity concert following the big flood of that year. Zevon played 23 gigs that year in a tour that visited Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. In his blog page on Zevon, ‘Nu Country guru’ Dave Dawson states, “When Chicago-born singer-songwriter Warren Zevon first toured Australia with (well-known Aussie outfit) The Little River Band in 1990 he soaked up Aussie culture from the shade of the Hilton circuit.” Warren Zevon (holding pick like it’s a hunting rifle) with Forestry Officers Martin Ambrose (left) and Craig Whiteford (right). Send lawyers, guns, money … and newly-planted trees.
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