Sassafras Avenue of Honour
Sassafras, YARRA RANGES SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
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Sassafras Avenue of Honour - Physical Description 1
Avenue: "Acacias from the Middle East"
Sassafras Avenue of Honour - Historical Australian Themes
Remembering the fallen
Veterans Description for Public
Sassafras Avenue of Honour - Veterans Description for Public
The Sassafras/ Ferny Creek Avenue of Honour extends along a section of the Mt Dandenong Tourist Road that was known as Anzac Avenue (from One Tree Hill Road in a north-east direction). Unfortunately only some of the trees survive and many have been severely pruned, possibly as a result of road widening and services.
In Australia, commemorative trees have been planted in public spaces since the late nineteenth century. Arbor Days were held regularly in most Victorian State Schools during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and numerous trees were planted in parks in Melbourne and throughout Victoria to mark the visits of important and famous people.
This tradition of commemorative planting was continued in 1901 when at the end of the Boer War trees were often planted for each soldier of the district who was killed in South Africa. These plantings, however, rarely consisted of more than two or three trees in each town.
During and after the First World War avenues of honour consisting of trees lining significant streets became a popular form of commemoration. They represented a new egalitarian approach to the commemoration of soldiers where rank was not a consideration: each tree symbolises a person.
Avenues of honour are a uniquely Australian phenomenon. Australians, and in particular Victorians, embraced the idea of planting them more enthusiastically than any other country in the world. Dating from May 1916, the Eurack Avenue of Honour is the earliest known avenue of honour to be planted in Victoria.
By the time of the Second World War avenues of honour had declined in popularity as a means of commemoration. Today it is estimated that over 300 avenues of honour have been planted in Victoria to commemorate service personnel since 1901.
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LONGACRESVictorian Heritage Register H1876
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LongacresNational Trust H1876
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Main Ridge, Dandenong RangesNational Trust
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