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Lone PinePrint Page Print this page

16-December-2020 (Henry Moulds)
16-December-2020 (Henry Moulds)

Photographs supplied by Hans-Joachim Sahariv / Henry Moulds

The Lone Pine tree was planted during a memorial service in memory of those who served their country in conflicts in which Australia has been involved. The tree is dedicated to the people of Goulburn for the welcome received by 55 Engineer Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers Vietnam Veterans who were in the city to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli on the 25th April 1915 during World War One. 

The Lone Pine was the name given to a solitary tree on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, which marked the site of the Battle of Lone Pine in 1915 during World War One and it was the sole survivor of a group of trees that had been cut down by Turkish soldiers who had used the timber and branches to cover their trenches.

The tree was obliterated during the battle; however, pine cones that had remained attached to the cut branches over the trenches were retrieved by two Australian soldiers and brought home to Australia. Private Thomas Keith McDowell, a soldier of the 23rd Battalion brought a pine cone from the battle site back to Australia, and many years later seeds from the cone were planted by his wife's aunt Emma Gray of Grassmere, near Warrnambool, Victoria and five seedlings emerged, with four surviving. These seedlings were planted in four different locations in Victoria: Wattle Park (May 8, 1933), the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne (June 11, 1933), the Soldiers Memorial Hall at The Sisters near Terang (June 18, 1933) and Warrnambool Botanic Gardens (January 23, 1934).

The Shrine of Remembrance's Pine was felled in August 2012 and the timber used as part of a remembrance project, after a disease known as Diplodia pinea or blue stains fungus as it commonly called killed it.

Another soldier, Lance Corporal Benjamin Smith from the 3rd Battalion, also retrieved a cone and sent it back to his mother (Mrs McMullen) in Australia, who had lost another son at the battle. Seeds from the cone were planted by Mrs McMullen in 1928, from which two seedlings were raised. One was presented to her home town of Inverell (New South Wales) and the other was forwarded to Canberra where it was planted by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester at the Australian War Memorial in October 1934.


Location

Address:Antill & Campbell Streets, Moore Park, Queanbeyan, 2620
State:NSW
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -35.350006
Long: 149.230281
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Tree
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:Multiple
Actual Event Start Date:25-April-1915
Actual Event End Date:25-April-2015

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Sunday 26th April, 2015
Front Inscription

Lone Pine Memorial
Pinus Halepensis Aleppo Pine  

This tree is dedicated to the people of the City of Queanbeyan. 

With appreciation of their warm welcome to the members of the 55 Advanced Engineers Stores Squadron and 55 Engineer Workshop and Park Squadron Royal Australian Engineers Vietnam Veterans 

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli by the ANZAC Forces on 25th April 1915.

Planted during a memorial service in remembrance of all those who died, were wounded and who served this Nation.

This memorial was unveiled by the Mayor of Queanbeyan Councillor Tim Overall assisted by Sappers Robert Cameron MiD and Les Smith.

Dedicated by Padre Major Les Coulter Queanbeyan Salvation Army

 26th April 2015

Lest We Forget
 

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