Avoca Avenue of Honour

York Avenue AVOCA, PYRENEES SHIRE

All information on this page is maintained by Vic. War Heritage Inventory. Click below for their website and contact details.

Vic. War Heritage Inventory

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • Physical Description 1

    Avoca Avenue of Honour - Physical Description 1

    Avenue of honour

    Historical Australian Themes

    Avoca Avenue of Honour - Historical Australian Themes

    Remembering the fallen

    Usage/Former Usage

    Avoca Avenue of Honour - Usage/Former Usage

    Commemoration

    Veterans Description for Public

    Avoca Avenue of Honour - Veterans Description for Public

    The Avoca Avenue of Honour was initiated by the Australian Natives Association who strongly supported the war effort.The A.N.A. along withthe Arbor Day committee, planted trees in 1918 in Avoca to honour the enlisted men of the First World War. It is located on York Street near the Avoca railway station.

    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 in Victoriawith planting commencing 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.
    
    

• Location map
• Explore related places
  • Show:
    -- select -- Nearby Places Same era

  • 
    AVOCA PRIMARY SCHOOL

    

    Victorian Heritage Register H1622
  • 
    AVOCA RAILWAY STATION

    

    Victorian Heritage Register H1721
  • 
    State School No 4 - Avoca

    

    National Trust

  • 
    1 Brockenshire Street

    

    Yarra City
  • 
    1 Bundara Street

    

    Yarra City
  • 
    1 Forster Street

    

    Hobsons Bay City
• Public contributions