Wattle lovers want Brisbane’s 2032 Olympics bathed in green and gold

A Queensland group wants Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games to unfold beneath a canopy of Australia’s national floral emblem.

The Queensland Wattle Association has proposed Project Brisbane Gold, an effort to plant thousands of native wattles across the state, particularly in south-east Queensland. The group hopes the trees will flower in parks, along roadsides and around major Games precincts when athletes and visitors arrive.

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I want to see Brisbane and south-east Queensland bathed in green and gold.

The Brisbane Golden Wattle, Acacia fimbriata, usually blooms from mid-July to mid-August, a period expected to coincide with the Games. Association president Mike Gilmour says planting must begin soon if the trees are to establish in time. “I want to see Brisbane and south-east Queensland bathed in green and gold,” he said.

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What better way than to have wattle planted now, so we can get them doing their job, blooming green and gold during 2032.

The association has collected about 10,000 seeds, including thousands donated by Miles resident Ann Gibbons. She said seeing wattles line roads and infrastructure during the Olympics would give part of her backyard a lasting connection to the event. “To see our wattle trees lining roads and infrastructure during the 2032 Olympics would be thrilling,” she said.

The project remains a proposal. Decisions about landscaping around Olympic and Paralympic venues and public spaces would involve Games organisers, governments, councils and other authorities. The association also wants wattle used on medals, in winners’ bouquets, on uniforms and in marketing. It hopes National Wattle Day on September 1 will offer another chance to promote the idea.

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To see our wattle trees lining roads and infrastructure during the 2032 Olympics would be thrilling.