Memorial trees can be of any species and planted on their own or in groups. Those planted along a roadside are known as Memorial Avenues or Avenues of Honour, such as the Gipps Street First World War Avenue of Honour in Tamworth (below). Planted in 1918, this living memorial is still thriving and is one of the oldest of its type listed on the NSW War Memorials Register.
A popular choice for a single memorial tree is the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), commonly known in Australia as the Lone Pine. This large-growing, evergreen tree was introduced to Australia by First World War soldiers, who sent or brought pine cones home from Turkey.
One well-known account is of Lance Corporal Benjamin Charles Smith, who collected several pine cones from the ground after the Battle of Lone Pine at Gallipoli. This fierce attack by the 1st Australian Infantry Division against the Turkish trenches took place from the 6th to the 10th of August, 1915. It resulted in more than 2,000 Australian deaths and almost 7,000 Turkish deaths.
Smith sent the cones home to his mother, in memory of his brother Mark, who has died during the battle. She successfully grew two seedlings. One was sent to Inverell, the town where her sons enlisted, and the other was planted at the Australian War Memorial, in honour of all those who died at Lone Pine.
Since the war, descendants of these original trees have been planted in remembrance of all those who have served and there are more than 40 Lone Pines listed on the Register. They are generally found in open spaces, such as parks, public gardens, and schools grounds, as they can grow up to 20 metres tall and 15 metres wide. The fine example of a Lone Pine at Bundarra Central School (bottom left) was planted in 2015 for the Centenary of Anzac commemorations.
The original Inverell Lone Pine was felled in 2007, due to safety concerns, and a replacement was planted to continue its legacy. The oldest Lone Pine on the Register is located at the Lone Pine Memorial in Leura (bottom right). It dates back to July 1919.
The Register includes many more examples of memorial trees and avenues of honour. Search the NSW War Memorials Register for memorials in your area today.
Have you recently planted a memorial tree or avenue? Find out how you can contribute to the NSW War Memorials Register.
Image captions:
- Top: Gipps Street First World War Avenue of Honour, Tamworth. Photograph provided by Graham Wilson, 2018.
- Left: Bundarra Central School Lone Pine. Photograph provided by Wayne Hoppe, 2018.
- Right: Lone Pine Memorial, Leura. Photograph taken by NSW War Memorials Register, 2021.