An Avenue of honour is a memorial avenue of trees, with each tree symbolising a person. The tradition, which originated in the Goldfields region of Victoria, Australia, is an important part of Australian culture. There are 547 known avenues of honour in Australia, in all states and territories except the Northern Territory; of which over half are in Victoria.
Description Most avenues are in remembrance of those who fought or died in war, particularly World War I (1914–1918), although the earliest recorded avenues were planted in remembrance of Australia's participation in the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Since soldiers were grouped by the place they were recruited, a military defeat often meant all of the men of eligible age from the town were killed in the same battle. Many of the avenue's trees include metal plaques naming the victims.
Planted in the first quarter of the twentieth century, many of these avenues feature large, established trees and exotic species.
Locations Australia New South Wales Suburb / Town Street address Year planted Conflict honoured Planting Notes Image Cowra Manly Vale King Street 2005 Merchant Navypersonnel in WWI & WWII O'Connell
Queensland Suburb / Town Street address Year planted Conflict honoured Planting Notes Image Yungaburra
Tasmania Suburb / Town Street address Year planted Conflict honoured Planting Notes Image Hobart
Victoria Several of these avenues are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register; most others are afforded local levels of heritage protection through the various Local government in Australia and the Victorian branch of the National Trust; however, many such avenues have since been affected by road development.
An online project titled "Avenues of Honour 1915-2015" was established by Treenet, the urban tree research and education organisation based at the University of Adelaide's Waite Arboretum. Suburb / Town Street address Year planted Conflict honoured Planting Notes Image Addington Anglesea Flowering gums (corymbia ficifolia): 72 planted, only 3–4 remain Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh Road 1918 WWI Dutch Elms: 281 trees were simultaneously planted on the call of a bugle; listed on the Victorian Heritage Register Ballarat Arch of Victory The longest avenue, being long and containing 3,912 trees, listed on the Victorian Heritage Register Ballarat East Victoria Street A lesser-known avenue, once marked the eastern entrance to Ballarat. A handful of trees remain on one side of the road, the rest having been removed, most during construction of the rail flyover in the 1960s Ballarat Orphanage Arthur Kenny Avenue Booroopki Buchan South Cranbourne South Gippsland Highway 1918–1919 Oaks: between 57 and 67, added to the Victorian Heritage Register; and , 172 oak trees were extant, with the additional trees planted in honour of those who fought in subsequent conflicts Daylesford Digby Eurack Listed on the Victorian Heritage Register Hotspur Kingston Kongwak Lakes Entrance Lysterfield Macedon Macedon Ranges Macedon-Woodend Road Mont Park Asylum 1919 WWI Flowering gums Strzelecki Avenue WWI Wandin North Flowering gums Woodend North
Western Australia Suburb / Town Street address Year planted Conflict honoured Planting Notes Image Kings Park May Drive|Lovekin Drive|Marri Walk
See also
Military history of Australia
References
Further reading
External links