Published on Thursday, 24 September 2026 at 10:05:42 AM
A very special piece of Ravensthorpe’s botanical story has been given a permanent home in the heart of town, with a pink Hakea discovered by the late Cr Mark Mudie planted at the Ravensthorpe Town Hall and Herbarium precinct.
The ceremonial planting, held on Friday 11 September 2026, provided an opportunity for Mark’s family, friends and members of the community to celebrate his life, his love of the Ravensthorpe district and his remarkable connection with the region’s native flora.
Mark, a local farmer and Deputy President of the Shire of Ravensthorpe, discovered the unusual flowering Hakea while working during seeding season.
Recognising that it was something he had not seen before, Mark contacted Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and Herbarium Coordinator Sue Leighton.
The original plant was an impressive specimen approximately 2.5 metres high and wide and covered in distinctive globular pink flowers.
Specimens were collected for the Ravensthorpe Regional Herbarium, and material was later collected by King’s Park for identification.
Three years later, two of the cutting grown specimens have been returned to the region.
Mark had hoped that one would eventually be planted in the Town Hall and Herbarium gardens, and that vision has now been realised. Another was provided to Mark’s wife, Elaine Mudie.
While its final botanical classification is still being investigated, specialists believe the plant may be a naturally occurring hybrid involving Hakea laurina, the Pincushion Hakea, and another Hakea species.
Pictured above: The Mudie family planting the special hybrid Hakea in memory of the late Cr Mark Mudie.
Shire President Cr Rachel Gibson said the planting was a fitting and deeply personal tribute to someone who had contributed enormously to the Ravensthorpe community.
“Mark had such a genuine appreciation for this district, its farms, its people, its bushland and its wildflowers,” Cr Gibson said.
“To have a plant that Mark himself noticed and recognised as something unusual growing here as a living memorial is incredibly special.
“We hope this Hakea flourishes in Ravensthorpe for many years to come and becomes a place where people can stop, remember Mark and appreciate the community and landscape he cared so much about.”
Mark was elected to the Shire of Ravensthorpe Council in 2019 and was serving his second term as Deputy President when he tragically lost his life while responding to the West River bushfire in December 2025.
The Mudie family has offered to donate a park bench to be installed near the Hakea, creating a place for family, friends and community members to sit, reflect and remember Mark.
The Shire acknowledges the work of the Ravensthorpe Herbarium and Wildflower Show volunteers, Kings Park horticultural specialists and everyone involved in preserving, propagating and returning this unique plant to Ravensthorpe.
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