Abel TasmanPrint Page

A group of claret ash trees, situated within the Pioneer Memorial Avenue, commemorates Abel Jans Tasman who named Tasmania as "Anthony Van Diemens Land" in December 1642. The claret ash trees were dedicated by the Chief Commissioner of the Netherlands Indies, Dr C. J. van Hoogstraten in December 1942.  The brass plaque was placed at the trees on the 24th January 1949.

The name of Abel Janszoon Tasman was perpetuated further in Tasmania by the dedication at Campbell Town yesterday of a group of 12 claret ash trees in the Pioneer Ave. In dedicating the trees, Dr J. C. van Hoogstraten, Chief Commissioner for the Dutch East Indies, unveiled a tablet erected on one of them by the Tasmanian Pioneer Ave. Committee. Those present included Mr Madden, Minister for Lands and Works, Mr C. Lyne, Warden of Campbell Town, Mr W. Gellie, chairman of the 50,000 League, and Mrs F. G. Dougharty, of the Pioneer Ave. Committee. Mr Madden welcomed Dr van Hoogstraten, and thanked him for having agreed to perform the ceremony in recognition of Tasman. The Warden said Australians were pleased to give a home to Dr Van Hoogstraten and fellow Dutchmen from the Netherlands who had lost their homes. Mrs Dougharty said the Pioneer Ave. Committee years ago made extensive plans for the ceremony that day, and had hoped to have a little garden planted in Holland at the same time, but that was not to be. Mr Gellie said the Pioneer Ave. Committee allocated the group of trees to Tasman. On behalf of the committee he handed over the trees to the Campbell Town municipality to preserve in the name of Tasman. 
Mercury (Hobart, Tas.), 7 December 1942.

A brass plaque was erected yesterday among a group of trees in the Pioneer Avenue at Campbell Town. The trees are one of several memorial groups and this section perpetuates the memory of Commander Abel Jansen Tasman, who annexed and named Tasmania "Anthony Van Diemen's Landt" in 1642. The trees, all claret ash have been tended by council employees and make a fine avenue through the town.

On the occasion of Tasmania's tercentenary in 1942, a wooden inscription was placed on one of the trees by the then Dutch Ambassador. Yesterday, members of the Pioneer Memorial Avenue executive went from Launceston and a few Campbell Town residents attended the brief ceremony when the chairman, the Minister for Repatriation (Mr. Barnard), erected the plaque.
Examiner (Launceston), 25th January 1949.

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