General News
4 July, 2022
Talbot Avenue of Honour to be restored thanks to 20 years of hard work by community
More than 100 years after it was first planted and following years of work, Talbot’s historic Avenue of Honour is set to be restored this year in a bid to return the town’s memorial park to its former glory. The idea for a memorial to...
More than 100 years after it was first planted and following years of work, Talbot’s historic Avenue of Honour is set to be restored this year in a bid to return the town’s memorial park to its former glory.
The idea for a memorial to commemorate locals who served in WWI was first raised in early 1919, with the community raising funds to establish the Talbot Soldiers Memorial Park and the town’s Avenue of Honour.
The following year, a total 106 trees surrounded the newly completed memorial park, running along Ohara and Lansdowne streets, Camp Lane and across the back of the former council depot.
Now, more than 100 years later, Talbot Action Inc, the Talbot RSL sub branch and Talbot Soldiers Memorial Park Committee of Management have secured a grant of just over $14,000 to recreate the historic avenue as a sign of reverence for those in the community who served.
Funded through the Australian Government’s Planting Trees for The Queen’s Jubilee Program, the project will see 40 Cimmaron Ash trees planted in two rows of 20 along Ohara Street, with the eventual goal of once again having the avenue run the perimeter of the memorial park.
Talbot RSL president and Talbot Soldiers Memorial Park Committee of Management secretary Skip Lynch said the community have wanted the avenue of honour to be restored for at least 20 years.
“I’m extremely pleased this can go ahead, this will be a bonus for the town and it will attract more people here because we are one of very few memorial parks in Australia and are quite probably one of the first,” he said.
“I’ve been involved with the RSL for 20 years and I know residents who have been wanting this done for at least that long.
“This is something that was in the town for many years and unfortunately the original trees are gone, they died off or were removed, so to be able to bring that back is very important.”
Although originally created to honour those who served in WWI, the memorial park also features dedications to those who served in the Boer War and WWII.
Most, if not all of the original avenue of honour trees are gone. An aerial photo from 1946 shows some trees remaining along Lansdowne and Ohara streets, but none along the other two park boundaries.
In 2012 a number of cypress trees were removed, much to the community’s outrage, and Talbot Action Inc secretary Graham Miller said the community’s response to the removal of the trees highlighted the avenue and memorial park’s significant to Talbot.
“In 2012, the angry letters to the press when the cypress trees were removed indicates how important the avenue was to the community,” he said.
“This is an important part of Talbot’s history and it’s a real thrill to be able to give it back to the community again.”
It’s unknown whether the two English Elm trees currently standing in the park are original or replacement trees, however both are heavily infested with Elm Leaf Beetle and need to be removed, alongside a red flowering gum which poses a risk to the foundations of the historic Talbot Fire Engine Shed.
The trees will be removed on or about July 11 and will be recycled by Talbot Timbers and used to create wooden benches to be installed at the park.
Organisers are hopeful works will be completed during September, with an official opening being tentatively planned for November 5.