Geelong North Avenue of Honour
St. Helen's Park GEELONG, GREATER GEELONG CITY
-
Add to tour
You must log in to do that.
-
Share
-
Shortlist place
You must log in to do that.
- Download report
Statement of Significance
This record has minimal details. Please look to the right-hand-side bar for any further details about this record.
-
-
Veterans Description for Public
Geelong North Avenue of Honour - Veterans Description for Public
The Geelong North Avenue of Honour was planted with Ash trees in 1946 to commemorate soldiers who participated in the Second World War. The trees were parallel to Bay Street, about 3 metres in from the kerb and a second row planted parallel to these about 3 metres further west (towards the centre of St. Helen's Park). There were about twenty trees in total. Each tree had a metal plaque with the name of the person for whom the tree was a memorial. Some of the trees have died and most of the plaques are missing.
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 Eurack Avenue of Honour is the earliest known avenue of honour to be planted in Victoria and dates from 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.
-
-
-
-
-
LUNAN HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H0673
-
OSBORNE HOUSEVictorian Heritage Register H1101
-
FORMER FEDERAL WOOLLEN MILLSVictorian Heritage Register H1938
-
-