5. AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL AVENUES Information from published literature, personal discussions with members of the public and the arboricultural profession and the survey forms conducted by this study have been collated to produce a summary of memorial avenues throughout Australia. This list contains historical and descriptive information where available and represents all avenues known to these contributors. This list is unlikely to contain all avenues ever planted and may contain inaccuracies. It is possible that some avenues, particularly in Victoria, have been listed twice as some avenues have been called different names by different sources. All care has been made to only include factual information but a detailed investigation of all individual avenues is required for complete accuracy. In some isolated cases certain facts may already be lost to history and we must rely on opinion and conjecture. FIG 5.1: BACCHUS MARSH AVENUE OF HONOUR, VIC. (SARAH COCKERELL 2007) 1 5.1 Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory No avenues were identified in the Northern Territory. Several single trees and other vegetative memorials exist. Only 2 avenues within the ACT have been identified. No council surveys were completed for these avenues. 5.1.1. Locations, Tree Details, Signs and Plaques The small number of avenues in the ACT is probably caused by the small area occupied by the Territory and the proximity of various federal memorials. Instead of local communities building their own memorials the presence of the federal government in Canberra resulted in larger, national memorials such as the Australian War Memorial. It is not known why the memorial at Hall contains such a variety of species or if any of the trees were replacements from the original planting. The individual engraved plaques at the Hall memorial are typical of memorials planted for WW1. No information is available on any signage at the Canberra High School Memorial. 5.1.2 Commemoration, History and Associations Exact dates for the planting of these avenues are not known but the commemorative details, representing men from the local area, are typical of memorial avenues. No further details about either avenue have been discovered. More localised research is needed. Further investigation is needed to identify any other references. 2 FIG 5.1: ACT MEMORIAL AVENUES – LOCATIONS, TREE DETAILS, SIGNS AND PLAQUES Description Original Name Street Town Details OP AP and Species Signs Plaques Features Comments Canberra High School leading Evergreen Canberra Canberra to the main trees. entrance. 1 Radiata Pine (Pinus radiata), 5 White Poplar All trees marked (Populus alba), 2 English Elm (Ulmus procera), 2 by hardwood From Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis), 1 Pin Oak Memorial post with Single row Hall Victoria Ave Hall Gladstone St 17 16 (Quercus palustris), 2 Roman Cypress (Cupressus park is attached of trees. to Halls Creek. sempervirens 'Stricta'), 1 English Oak (Quercus signposted. engraved plaque robur), 1 Canary Island Pine (Pinus canariensis) stating the and 1 Lombardy Poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’). soldiers name. OP – Original planting, number of trees. AP – At present, number of trees. FIG 5.2: ACT MEMORIAL AVENUES – COMMEMORATION, HISTORICAL DETAILS, ASSOCIATIONS AND REFERENCES Other Current Name Date War Details Recognition History Local Associated Status Council Groups References Avenue was proposed by the Circa For former students Canberra WW2 Canberra High School. Unknown if ACT Local 1946 killed in war. avenue was planted. Authority Canberra Times 11/07/1946. Website - Southwell-Keeley, War Early Men from the Hall Hall WW1 Complete. ACT Local Memorials in Australia 2007. 1920's district who served. Authority www.skp.com.au/memorials 3 5.2 New South Wales 67 memorial avenues have been identified in New South Wales. Of these, 36 (54%) were surveyed by council. 3 (4%) were surveyed by the local RSL branch or interested individuals. These results can be found in Chapter 6. 5.2.1. Locations, Tree Details, Signs and Plaques Location information is available for most avenues. Only 8 (12%) have no other detail than a town or suburb reference. At least 12 (18%) avenues are located in parks or school grounds. One avenue, Murrumbateman, is located within the grounds of a church. The number of trees in New South Wales avenues varies from as few as 3 (in Eltham) to 2000 at Cowra, although most avenues contain less than 100 trees. It is unclear how many trees were originally planted in 37 (55%) cases and how many remain in 35 (52%) cases. Single rows of trees are quite common although slightly more are reported to be double rows of trees. At Gundagai the trees are arranged to form a cross. Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) were the most commonly used species and is now causing replacement difficulties as the tree has been declared a noxious weed. Eucalyptus/Corymbia species were also common and at least 47 tree species have been used in NSW memorials. 17 of these species appear to have only been used in this state including Hoop Pine (Araucaria cunninghamia), She-oak (Casuarina spp.), Kaffir Plum (Harpephyllum caffrum), Pistachio (Pistacia spp.) and Elderberry (Sambucus nigra). 16 (24%) avenues used multiple tree species. 24 (56%) avenues still require species identification. At least 15 avenues have fewer than the original number of trees remaining and several avenues have had replacement trees planted. In one case at Canowindra the replacement trees were grown from cutting taken from the original trees. Only 11 (16%) avenues are reported as having some form of signage and at least 25 (37%) originally had individual tree plaques. Of these 18 (27%) have had all plaques lost or removed. 4 5.2.2 Commemoration, History and Associations 2 (3%) avenues were planted for the Boer War at Eltham in 1901 and Junee in 1903. The first WW1 avenue was started just after the start of the war in Camden in 1914. 25 (37%) avenues were planted before 1920. Most of the avenues commemorate WW1 (79%) with only 18 (27%) commemorating WW2. Only 5 (7%) new avenues have been planted since 1990. The avenues were often planted for fallen servicemen but at least 6 avenues commemorated all who served. 2 avenues specifically commemorate prisoners of war, the Japanese memorial at Cowra (2) and memorial for 3 brothers at Eltham, one of whom died in a POW camp. Many avenues have at least some local recognition and two, Goulburn and O’Connell, are recognised by the national trust. 5 (7%) avenues have been destroyed but at least 15 (22%) are complete or have been expanded from their original plantings. The current status of 39 (58%) avenues is unknown. Historical details are available for most avenues although further research is needed in at least 21 (31%) cases. At least 11 (16%) avenues are still used during the year for various commemoration services. The orange (Citrus sinensis) avenue at Bingara is unique for the annual festival connected to it for ‘picking day’ where local children collect the ripe fruit from the trees. In 44 (%) cases RSL clubs associated with the trees have been identified although it cannot be confirmed if these branches are still active. Only one community group has so far been associated with any avenue, the Kentucky memorial tree committee. Further local investigation is needed to identify any other references and to fill the remaining gaps in the following tables. 5 FIG 5.3: NSW MEMORIAL AVENUES – LOCATIONS, TREE DETAILS, SIGNS AND PLAQUES Original Description and Name Street Town Details OP AP Species Signs Plaques Features Comments Up hill to War Red Flowering gum (Corymbia Albury Main St Albury Memorial. ficifolia) All the Cherry St 37 Camphor Laurel trees have been Crane St and (Cinnamomum camphora), 1 Ballina Ballina 68 38 removed and some Cherry St Kaffir Plum (Harpephyllum of the Crane St caffrum). trees are missing. Berkeley Berkeley Berkeley Vale Pindarri Ave Vale Vale Public School. Bronze plaques with tubular steel frames Brushbox (Lophostemon were originally confertus), Brittle gum Single row mounted in front Berry Alexandra St Berry 36 33 (Eucalyptus mannifera), of trees. of the trees. Lemon Scented gum These have been (Corymbia citriodora). relocated to the adjacent Anzac Park. Double 99 Navel Orange (Citrus Sign marks Bingara Finch St Bingara row of 72 100 sinensis) + 1 Valencia from avenue. trees. original planting. Double Blackheath Common rhododendron No plaques Blackheath Park Ave Blackheath row of 72-77 19 Memorial Park. (Rhododendron ponticum). remain. trees. Double Macarthur Canary Island Date Palm No plaques Camden Camden row of 16 16 Park (Phoenix canariensis). remain. trees. Most of original Double trees removed. probably Canadian poplar No plaques Canowindra Eugowna Rd Canowindra row of ≈100 ≈100 Replacement trees (Populus x canadensis remain. trees. are cuttings from 'Regenerata'). original trees. Corner 6 trees along Sandstone Pittwater Rd Single row Pittwater Rd (+ Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria plaque on No plaques Collaroy Collaroy 6+ and Birdwood of trees. others in adjoining heterophylla). Pittwater Rd remain. Ave park) marks avenue. 6 Original Description and Name Street Town Details OP AP Species Signs Plaques Features Comments Southern Double Peppercorn tree (Schinus No plaques Condobolin Diggers Ave Condobolin entrance to row of aeria var. molle) remain. town. trees. Plaque on rock marks Peppercorn tree (Schinus Corner of Double rededication of Lachlan Valley aeria var. molle), Silky Oak No plaques Cowra (1) Cowra Boorowa and row of 465 465 avenue in Way (Grevillia robusta), Sugar remain. Grenfell Rd's. trees. 1991. Signs at Gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) both ends of avenue. Cowra Prisoner Double Japanese Flowering Cherry Cowra (2) Evans St Cowra of War Camp row of 2000 2000 (Prunus serrulata) (former). trees. Tree Engraved tablets Cudgegong Cudgegong 57 guards on tree guards. In the local Cundletown Cundletown park. Original trees removed due to damage caused by It is not clear Double drainage works where the London Planes (Platanus x No plaques Dubbo Darling St Dubbo row of and incompatibility avenue starts acerifolia).