13/10/2026
Did you know that Monash University has a cutting of the apple tree that Isaac Newton reportedly observed the apple fall from? It was planted in its current location in the Kenneth Hunt garden in 1975, but the story of how it got there spans twelve years, and it’s all thanks to the perserverence of our first Vice-Chancellor, Louis Matheson. Here you can see the tree in 1975, 1985 and 2024, and you can read the story of how it came to be at Monash below.
✉️ In July 1963 Louis Matheson contacted the East Malling Research Station in England, which had cuttings of Newton’s appple tree, asking if we could have a cutting for our new university. They were happy to oblige but Australia’s botanical quarantine was not and wouldn’t allow a tree cutting into the country.
🍎 In 1964 Matheson was able to have some apple pips imported. But after several unsuccessful attempts at growing a tree from them it seemed his vision of having a clone or descendent of Newton’s apple tree at Monash were dashed.
🎓 In 1969 a professor of botany, through his connections, was able to get a cutting of the tree imported.
🌳➡️🇦🇺 In 1970 the tree cutting arrived at Monash.
🪴 In 1972, after two years of growing in secret, the tree was planted in the Engineering courtyard, in a secret location with no marker to protect it from vandals who might like their own cutting of Newton’s apple tree.
🎉Finally, on 17 July 1975, when the tree was deemed to be large enough to survive any potential vandalism, it was planted amid much pomp and ceremony in its current location.
