Mount Waverley Avenue of Honour
High Street Road MOUNT WAVERLEY, MONASH CITY
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Statement of Significance
The War Memorial trees planted by the community along High Street Road, Mount Waverley after the Great War (although originally an avenue of honour) are historically and socially important for their commemoration of local service people who served at the war. This row, along with the row at Clayton Railway Station are all that survive of the 3 original Avenues of Honour planted in the Shire of Mulgrave (Criterion A and G). These trees are similar in nature to the many avenues of honour which were planted throughout Victoria during this period and after later wars. They are a "peculiarly Australian - and predominantly Victorian - form of memorial, and form an interesting chapter in the making of the Australian landscape" (Haddow). English trees, such as Oaks, were commonly used as a symbolic link to the 'mother country' (Criterion D). Other examples of Avenues of Honour in Victoria, and more well known, include those in Mt Macedon and Ballarat.
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Mount Waverley Avenue of Honour - Physical Description 1
Single line of mature Portugal Oaks (Quercus ssp) planted along the naturestrip on southern side of High Street Road, between Fleet Street and Baringa Street.
Mount Waverley Avenue of Honour - Physical Conditions
Poor to fair. One appears to be dead.
Mount Waverley Avenue of Honour - Integrity
Low. A relatively continuous line of 13 trees along the south side of High Street Road, with only two trees missing. The form of these trees has been heavily modified to accommodate overhead powerlines. The whole of the north row has been removed to accommodate the widening of High Street Road
Veterans Description for Public
Mount Waverley Avenue of Honour - Veterans Description for Public
The Mount Waverley Avenue of Honour, located at 464-492 High Street, was planted to commemorate the First World War. The trees were a tribute from the people of Mount Waverley, and were planted by the local community at what was the centre of the town. Portugal Oak trees were selected because of their long life and freedom from disease. Each tree planted represented one local service person who served in the war and originally a plaque noted each person's name at the base of each tree, these are no longer intact. The trees once lined both sides of the street, today only a single line of mature Portugal Oaks exists along the nature strip on southern side of High Street Road, between Fleet Street and Baringa Street.
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. The earliest known planting of an avenue of honour in Victoria is at Eurack which commenced in May 1916.
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.
Heritage Study and Grading
Monash - Monash Heritage Study
Author: Gerner Consulting Group, Andrew Ward
Year: 1998
Grading:
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St Stephen's Anglican ChurchNational Trust
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Closters HomesteadNational Trust
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Mt Waverley Church of England Stained Glass Window (First World War)Vic. War Heritage Inventory
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