Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth IIPrint Page

An advanced Grey Gum sapling commemorates the Platinum Jubilee of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and acknowledges her 70 years of service as Australia`s Head of State. 

The project received funding from the Queen`s Platinum Jubilee Tree Planting Program which will run from 2021-2024. The project will plant trees, install a commemorative plaque and hold an event in honour of The Queen’s Jubilee. This will enhance the tree canopy and raise awareness of The Queen's Jubilee.

Elizabeth II (21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during her lifetime, and was head of state of 15 realms at the time of her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the longest verified reign of any female monarch in history.  

The first of a series of living tributes to Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth the Second took root today, with Sutherland Shire Council working with staff and students at Cronulla South Public School to begin a major tree planting project in honour of the Queen and her remarkable seventy-year reign.

As the first step in a tree planting project initially launched to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Sutherland Shire Councillors and the Federal Member for Cook Scott Morrison joined senior staff and student leaders from the school to plant an advanced Grey Gum sapling which will serve as a prominent and lasting reminder of the Queen’s incredible tenure as Australia’s Head of State.

In addition to the tree planting conducted on site at the school, every student and staff member was presented with a commemorative seedling of their own to enable them to plant their own personal tribute to the Queen at home, an initiative which is hoped will see 300 leafy reminders dotting the local landscape in honour of the Queen’s legacy in years to come.

Sutherland Shire Mayor, Carmelo Pesce said while the passing of the Queen was a sombre moment for the nation, he was delighted to see the students at Cronulla South Public School taking part in such a thoughtful gesture to reflect on the Queen’s life of service and address one of the causes closest to her heart.

“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second was passionate about protecting the environment to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy our beautiful surrounds, and it is a legacy she lived out wherever she travelled,” Mayor Pesce said.

“During the sixteen tours that the Queen conducted to Australia throughout her lengthy reign, she took part in planting 15,000 trees, with plenty of these trees continuing to stand tall as treasured reminders of official visits to communities across the country."

Council’s contribution to the ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ program will see similar planting activities carried out at other schools throughout Cronulla, with three further schools confirmed to take part.

The program will culminate in a tree planting event to be staged adjacent to Cronulla Station early next year, with a mature native tree to be planted onsite to serve as focal point for community reflection on the Queen’s life of service throughout seven-decades on the throne.
Sutherland Shire Media Release, 22 September 2022. 

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