The King George V Avenue of Memorial English Oaks is a heritage-listed memorial avenue at King George V Memorial Avenue (East), Tamworth, Tamworth Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Tamworth Council and Community and built during 1936 by Tamworth Progress Association, Tamworh Rotary, Tamworth Community and Council. It is also known as Lower Nemingha Road. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 12 March 2014.
History Establishment The history of the avenue was found amongst various newspaper articles on microfiche (dating from 1936) and historical publications held at the Tamworth Regional library. Further articles were supplied from members of the public.
On 29 February 1936 at the request of the townspeople, the Mayor of Tamworth convened the first public meeting to decide on a memorial to King George V. The idea to establish a living memorial to the late king by planting an avenue of English oak trees was discussed and a memorial avenue was thought to be a fitting tribute to the much loved king as he had been a lover of trees. It was also thought that the avenue should be of English oaks which, even though they are slow growing, they live to a great age, were beautiful trees and also symbolic of the link to England. Oak trees were also used as a symbol of honour for the English monarchy.
Originally it was planned for the avenue to run from town along the Upper Nemingha Road (now the New England Highway), across the Two Mile Bridge over the Peel River, back along the Lower Nemingha Road (now King George V Memorial Avenue) and into town over the river via the Paradise Bridge.
It was estimated that 318 trees would be required and the cost was going to be A£300. This was felt to be an amount that was well within the means of the community of Tamworth. The population of Tamworth in 1936 was 11,000 and the committee felt that the cost of 15 shillings per tree was small and that perhaps school children and other organisations in town would desire to be represented. School children were seen to be important to be involved for it was they who would take up the task of caring for the avenue in the future.
The location of the avenue was selected for a number of reasons. Firstly the Lower Nemingha Road was chosen as it was not a Main Roads Department road. This meant the trees could be planted close enough together to form an effective avenue. At that time NSW Main Roads required all roadside trees to be planted at least a chain distant from the road on each side and the effect of this on an avenue would be disheartening. It was also noted that as the Lower Nemingha Road was on a flood plain with the excellent soils and regular flooding it would be a place where English oaks would grow well. The committee decided that the trees would be planted at a distance of apart with a gap of for the roadway and at these distances it was expected that the foliage would interlace overhead forming a cathedral like arch.
By April 1936 99 trees had been promised by Tamworth residents, businesses and community groups including the CWA, RSL and the Light Horse Brigade. Around this time the Main Roads Department of NSW announced that they were currently surveying all main roads from Sydney to Wallangarra with the intention of planting trees along the main access roads into towns. This changed the decision to plant the oaks on the main northern entrance road into town and the committee decided instead that signposts were to be erected on the highway so tourists could take a scenic detour into town via the avenue. This detour was called the "Round Drive" and the lower Nemingha Road was renamed King George V Memorial Avenue.
By 25 June 1936 there were only 15 trees left to source and then the work on the avenue would start immediately. It was announced at that meeting that the opening and dedication of the avenue would occur during the Tamworth's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in October 1936. Tamworth City Council donated the remaining 15 trees.
Deaths
A fatal road accident occurred on King George Avenue in Tamworth, New South Wales, in which a local father was killed. In the aftermath of the crash, his wife died by suicide, hanging herself from a tree along the same stretch of road. Several years later, their daughter, left without parents and reportedly struggling with the effects of the earlier tragedies, also died by suicide at the same location. The sequence of events has since been cited locally as an example of intergenerational trauma and the lingering psychological impact of sudden loss.
In the late 1960s, King George Avenue in Tamworth, New South Wales, was the scene of a fatal drag racing accident. Two vehicles engaged in an illegal street race lost control near a residential area, resulting in both cars crashing. The impact killed both drivers at the scene. The incident drew public attention to the dangers of street racing and contributed to growing local concern about road safety and youth driving culture during that period.
Early 1970s, a fatal drag racing incident occurred on King George Avenue in Tamworth, New South Wales. During the race, a young child reportedly ran from a nearby house onto the roadway and was struck by one of the vehicles, resulting in her death. Immediately afterward, both cars lost control and crashed, killing both drivers.
Late 1970s, a fatal car accident occurred along King George Avenue in Tamworth, New South Wales, when a driver lost control of his vehicle during an alleged drag race. The car veered off the road and crashed into a residential house, killing only the driver. No occupants of the home were reported injured.
Subsequent developments In the 1950s the Paradise Tourist Park was built by Tamworth City Council at the end of the avenue and King George V Memorial Avenue has been used ever since as a recreational amenity by thousands of townsfolk and visitors each year.
The devastating 1955 floods washed away the Two Mile Bridge which has never been replaced. The community of Tamworth turned out to clean up the debris from the avenue as part of the post flood clean up. Since then the only access to the avenue has been via the Paradise Bridge (next to the Paradise Tourist Park) close to town. This meant that King George V Avenue became more important as a quiet place to be visited and the avenue has become one of the main wedding and school formal photographic sites in town as well as being a quiet place for workers to have their lunch under the trees.
In 1988 Tamworth City Council and the Department of Environment and Planning contracted Jonathan Falk Planning Consultants Pty Ltd to conduct a heritage study of Tamworth. Their report states that the avenue was also an important memorial to servicemen killed in World War I. In 1936 the Northern Daily Leader reported that the RSL and the Light Horse Brigade donated monies to purchase some of the trees for the avenue.
In 1992 after years of public pressure Tamworth City Council agreed to establish an official register of significant trees. The Council called on members of the public to advise on which trees they believed should be protected and the reasons why. After much community consultation EJE Landscape Consultants from Sydney produced the Register of Significant Trees for Tamworth City Council in 1993 which included the King George V Memorial Avenue of English Oaks.
In March 2004 Tamworth City Council proposed to remove the trees on the avenue due to ongoing decay of the trees and the forward planning for an access road to future subdivisions at Calala. The plan was to remove the trees and replant with high English oaks at a cost of $350 - $2500 each. This caused huge public outcry and a petition of 3,000 signatures was quickly collected resulting in no further action being taken.
In August 2010 a development application (DA) was lodged with TRC to use King George V Avenue as the access route for a major subdivision of 500+ lots. This proposal spurred an ongoing campaign by the community and its visitors to save this much loved and historic avenue. Due to the age of the trees and the narrow distance between the trees any increase in traffic flow would mean eventual road widening and loss of the trees as well as the loss of the peace and tranquility afforded by the trees and quiet location.
In November 2011 another DA was lodged with council to trench through the root protection zone of the trees in order to place a wastewater pipeline. The decision whether to approve this pipeline was deferred in December 2012 pending a comprehensive arborist report as the initial report submitted with the DA did not comply with the Australian Standard AS4709 2009 Protection of Trees in Development zones. The DA was subsequently withdrawn.
In 2011 a valuation, commissioned by the community, by Thyer Amenity Tree Valuation Services valued the avenue to be worth millions of dollars to the community for its amenity, aesthetics and historic value. Its aesthetic values is evidenced by its prolific use as a backdrop for commercial and personal photography and its amenity values lie in its use for personal and club fitness activities. Over the years this avenue has become one of the most beautiful tourist attractions Tamworth has to offer.
In February 2013 the National Trust of Australia (NSW Branch) listed the avenue as one of State significance as a rare example of an avenue of English Oaks in NSW and the only one carefully planted to grow and produce an interlocking cathedral like effect from the branches joining overhead. It is of historical significance as it was planted as a memorial to King George V in 1936 from the last of the eras when English Oaks were used for street tree plantings and commemorative plantings.
From the first decision to plant the avenue to their care and now the current campaign to save the trees King George V Memorial Avenue has been an important part of Tamworth's history for 77 years. It represents a time in history after the Boer War and World War 1 when avenues of honour were popular with communities. After WWI the interest in living memorials waned. It is also a representative of the last era when English Oak trees were commonly used for road side plantings, their use declining due to the difficulty in selecting areas where they would grow successfully.
In March 2014 the avenue was listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.
Description The surrounding land consists of flat alluvial flood plain used for a variety of agricultural purposes, including grain crops, lucerne and livestock grazing. Some of these fields are irrigated using water drawn from the adjacent Peel River. A small number of farm houses are located along the roadway.
Avenue The original planting in 1936 comprised 318 trees which were planted along the Lower Nemingha Road (renamed King George V Memorial Avenue).
King George V Avenue is divided into two sections - the main section runs for from the south east end of the main street (Peel Street) heading in a south easterly direction. This section comprises 200 trees of which 140 are of the original planting as well as 60 replacement trees of varying ages. There are 99 trees on the western side and 101 on the eastern side. These trees form a nearly continuous cathedral-like canopy for as per the original concept ) for the planting.Northern Daily Leader, 29 February 1936.
Secondary Avenue