Lara Avenue of Honour
Lara, GREATER GEELONG CITY
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Statement of Significance
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Lara Avenue of Honour - Physical Description 1
Cypress avenue: Monterey Cypress - Cupressus macrocarpa. Photo (Christey) shows sign for "1939-45 Avenue of Honour".
Lara Avenue of Honour - Historical Australian Themes
Remembering the fallen
Lara Avenue of Honour - Physical Conditions
Good condition and sign posted
Lara Avenue of Honour - Usage/Former Usage
Commemoration
Veterans Description for Public
Lara Avenue of Honour - Veterans Description for Public
The Lara Avenue of Honour, on the Walkers Road, was planted in 1948 to commemorate the Second World War. The avenue was planted with 98 Cypress trees (Cupressus macrocarpa), 93 of which survive. The Avenue is one of ten in Victoria that specifically chose trees because of their symbolism, Cypress trees are symbolic of death and melancholy.
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. Dating from May 1916, the Eurack Avenue of Honour is the earliest known avenue of honour to be planted in Victoria.
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.
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