Cambrian Hill & District Avenue of HonourPrint Page

The Avenue of Honour commemorates those who have served in the various conflicts in which Australia has been involved.

The Avenue was reopened and rededicated after upgrades in April 2023. This avenue replaces the original World War One avenue planted along Colac -Ballarat Road in 1917 which has been damaged by powerlines and roadworks.

The single-line Cambrian Hill Memorial Avenue of Honour was officially reopened and rededicated along Glassons Road last week following recent upgrades. The peaceful Avenue of 56 six-year-old English oak trees now includes information on each of the area’s World War I or World War II servicepeople. Each of them have their own bronze plaque attached to a concrete plinth.

Next to the pre-existing memorial cairn, interpretive signage – including some war-time imagery – seats, and a flagpole have been installed.

Buninyong RSL president Ron Fleming, Buninyong & District Community News editor Barry Fitzgerald, and historian Les George led the research and development on site. “The interesting part of this particular project, and a highlight, was that we were able to find two additional people who served and previously weren’t indicated anywhere on the school honour roll or on the existing plaque on the memorial cairn,” Mr Fleming said.

“Climatic conditions took the trees in the past, they were removed, and now they’ve been replanted with the oak trees which will give them a fairly long life, so the service to the nation and the sacrifices by some of those local community members will be there for a long time to come.” Mr Fleming encourages locals, and those slightly further afield in Buninyong and Ballarat, to set time aside to stroll the Cambrian Hill Memorial Avenue of Honour to see who served in the army, navy and air force. “It is a great local historical point of view that everyone can share in. There’s one name, for example, who served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who was born in Cambrian Hill. People can begin to understand some of the terms they see on plaques, and can see a number of family names listed together; brothers, fathers and sons, uncles and cousins,” he said. “There are two fairly large, significant family names in Cambrian Hill.”

Each plaque identifies the section of the military in which a person served, their full name and regimental number, whether they were killed in action, returned to Australia or died of wounds, and significant locations and dates.

The Avenue’s upgrades were made possible by funding from the State Government Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues program, the Golden Plains Shire, the Buninyong & District Community Bank, and the Buninyong RSL.

At the ceremony, piper John Young played some music to the 50 attendees. A 16-page commemorative booklet was distributed, and the children of Napoleons Primary School also received copies. Following the formalities, morning tea was held at the Napoleons Historical Society.

The original Colac-Ballarat Road Avenue was made in 1917. This has been damaged by roadworks and powerlines.
Golden Plains Times, 9 April 2023. 

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