Goodbye, tree

Last winter, the largest tree in our backyard dropped its leaves. We thought it was a seasonal change and the leaves would return when the weather warmed up but it never did. Turns out our beloved native has died and has become a bit of a hazard with large branches falling off almost daily. We have had to keep Robbie from playing in the garden until we have it removed.

An arborist checked it out and he thinks it may have been hit by lightning. Trees usually die very slowly and a quick death could mean it has been burnt. Our council has approved its removal and it will be cut down tomorrow. Sad to see this beautiful tree gone!

The council conditions for tree removal is that we plant two Australian native plants in our garden. Do you have any recommendations for what we should plant in this shady part of the garden?