Blackwood Avenue of Honour

Mineral Springs Park BLACKWOOD, MOORABOOL SHIRE

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Vic. War Heritage Inventory

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Statement of Significance

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  • Physical Description 1

    Blackwood Avenue of Honour - Physical Description 1

    Avenue. 80 trees

    Historical Australian Themes

    Blackwood Avenue of Honour - Historical Australian Themes

    Remembering the fallen

    Veterans Description for Public

    Blackwood Avenue of Honour - Veterans Description for Public

    The Blackwood Avenue of Honour was planted in 1919 in Mineral Springs Park to commemorate those who served in the First World War. Originally there were eighty pine trees. Today only two remain, one on either side of the bridge to the Springs. The avenue has been replanted with Chinese Elms.

    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.

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