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Soldiers AvenuePrint Page Print this page

03-May-2015
03-May-2015

Photographs supplied by Bruce Challoner, Curator, Lara RSL Sub Branch / Sandra Brown

The memorial stone and remembrance garden commemorate the Centenary of ANZAC landing in Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 during World War One.

The sugar gum trees surrounding the monument are the last surviving trees of the 150 sugar gums, which circled the oval and between 30-40 pines on Mill Road which were planted on the 24th August 1918.

Funding was received in 2015 through the Anzac Centenary Grants program to upgrade the Soldiers Avenue. On the 2nd May 2015 an unveiling ceremony was held for the Avenue. 
 

TREE PLANTING.
Saturday afternoon was devoted to planting trees on the Lara Recreation Reserve. It was intended that the men should dig the holes, and each lady present plant a tree in honor of a soldier friend at the Front. Owing, however, to the stormy day that was experienced, the latter part of the programme had to be omitted, as such heavy showers fell during the afternoon that it was impossible for many ladies to venture out. So the menfolk dug the holes and planted about 150 sugar gums and  between 30 and 40 pines. Guards are to be put around the trees planted. When this is done, individual trees will be allotted to the ladies to take care of till their soldier boys return from the Front. We all hope that the trees will not have time to grow much before this earnestly looked for day arrives.
Geelong Advertiser (Vic), 27 August 1918.
 

Location

Address:Waverley Road, Lara Reserve, Lara, 3212
State:VIC
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -38.019524
Long: 144.412842
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW1
Actual Event Start Date:04-August-1914
Actual Event End Date:28-June-1919

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Saturday 2nd May, 2015
Front Inscription

Soldiers Avenue

Lest We Forget

Plaque :

"On 26th August, 1918, Families Of Soldiers
Serving Overseas Planted 150 Sugar Gums,
Which Circled The Oval And Between 30 - 40
Pines At The Front Of The Oval On Mill Road.
This Is The Earliest WW1 Avenue Of Honour In
The Geelong Region, And Is The 3rd Earliest In
The State Of Victoria. This Grove Of Sugar
Gums Are The Remnants Of The Planting.

This Memorial Stone And Remembrance Garden
Was Established In Commemoration Of
The Centenary Of ANZAC (1915 – 2015)"

Plaque :

      100
   Years Of
   ANZAC
The Spirit Lives
2014  - 2018 

SOLDIERS AVENUE
was officially unveiled on 
2nd May, 2015 by the Hon. Richard Marles MP 
Federal Member of Corio

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au