A community is reeling after two culturally significant trees were damaged by fire last week.
Bpangerang elder Uncle Dozer Atkinson says the damage to the trees is "heartbreaking".
Both sites are used by Bpangerang people on cultural walks delivered to the local community.
The first damaged scar tree, near Wangaratta's Bullawah cultural trail, was discovered still burning during the early hours of March 31.
The second was discovered smouldering in the northern beaches area in the early afternoon on April 3, Uncle Dozer said.
He says the trees are estimated to be "well over 500 years old".
"We're pleading to the community to be vigilant. Especially around our cultural trails," Uncle Dozer said.
"I don't like to speculate or point the finger at anybody, but I do know that two very significant trees have been damaged," he said
The Rural City of Wangaratta said it was "very concerned that culturally significant trees in a council-managed nature reserve have sustained damage from what appears to have been deliberately lit fires.”
Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
While investigations are ongoing, police say they believe the tree by the Bullawah cultural trail was set alight between midnight and 7 in the morning.
The damage is being treated as suspicious.
Significant sites
The entire community has lost sites of significance, Uncle Dozer said.
The trees are "very much part of our connection to the past ... connection to traditional days," he said.
A scar tree is a tree which has had some of the bark removed to create implements or serve another purpose.
A coolamon had been cut from one of the burnt trees, a kind of curved vessel used for collecting food, water and even nursing sleeping babies, , Uncle Dozer said.
The other tree had been a signal tree — "almost like a chimney" — where smoke was funnelled up and would signal and tell stories to other people in the area.
Uncle Dozer says that "these stories belong to all Australians that are connected to these sites, and we are willing to share with everybody".
"We are keeping a close eye on the ancient old trees that are still with us."
