For more than 160 years, a humble ginkgo tree raised from seed in Geelong’s botanic gardens has been the backdrop to “countless local love stories”. Standing beneath it is the most popular spot to get married at the park, its branches forming the backdrop of many wedding photos.

Now, in addition to being the largest ginkgo biloba in the state – and possibly Australia – at a whopping 20 metres tall, it has a new claim to fame. The much-adored Geelong icon has been crowned Victoria’s tree of the year .

The National Trust of Australia (Victoria), which runs the awards, announced on Tuesday that Geelong’s ginkgo beat eight other finalists to the 2026 title, receiving 27% of 4,435 public votes cast.…