The Ballarat Avenue of
Honour
The Ballarat Avenue of Honour is
significant as the earliest known memorial avenue to have been planted in Victoria, and
appears to have stimulated similar plantings throughout Victoria in the years 1917 to
1921. They predominate in Victoria with the greatest concentration in the Central
Highlands around Ballarat. These avenues represent a new egalitarian approach in the
commemoration of soldiers where service rank was not a consideration and are illustrative
of a peculiarly Australian, populist and vernacular response to the experience of the
First World War. They had declined in popularity as a means of commemoration by the time
of the Second World War (Criterion A.4) The Ballarat Avenue is the longest avenue of
honour in Australia and, composed of exotic trees planted along a major road, is a
dominant landscape feature in the low farming country with a powerful social message.
History of the Avenue
T he
idea for the Ballarat Avenue of Honour in 1917 was attributed
to Mrs W.D. (Tilly) Thompson, a director of a local clothing
manufacturer, E. Lucas & Co. Between June 1917 and August
1919, a tree was planted for each soldier who enlisted as a
resident of the urban area of Ballarat. The trees were planted
in order of the soldiers enlistment, and stretched some 22km
along the Western Highway, consisting of 3,771 trees.
This concept created the beginning of a cultural landscape
peculiar to Australia. At least 128 Avenues of Honour were
planted throughout Victoria between 1917 and 1921, the
majority concentrated in the Central Highlands.
From the beginning, the Ballarat Avenue was grand in concept,
culminating in the official opening of the Arch of Victory by
the Prince of Wales in 1920. The 500 staff of E. Lucas & Co.
(known as the 'Lucas Girls) not only raised the money
required, but then proceeded to plant all the trees themselves
on weekends.
To this day, the Avenue continues to present a vast and
memorable leafy gateway to the City of Ballarat, and a grand
living monument to those who volunteered for active service.
Location
The Avenue of Honour is located
along the Ballarat Burrumbeet Road (former Western Highway) approximately 4 kilometres
north west of the Ballarat City Centre. The Avenue is presently comprised of a total of
3,332 trees, and covers a distance of approximately 22km in length. It begins at the Arch
of Victory in Alfredton, runs westward to Lake Burrumbeet where it changes direction and
heads north, crossing the Western Freeway Bypass and continuing along Avenue Road to
Weatherboard Learmonth Road. It is a continuous Avenue except where the Western Freeway
Bypass has recently been constructed across it, and just south of this point where only a
single row of trees lines the road on the east side.
Tree Planting and Species:
 On
3 June 1917, the first 1,000 trees in the Avenue were planted
by staff from the local textile mill E. Lucas & Co. Just over
two years later the final planting took place on 16 August
1919, with a total of 3,771 trees extending over a distance of
approximately 14 miles along the Ballarat-Burrumbeet Road.
There were eight plantings in all, which took place sometime
between June and August each year and usually consisted of
around 500 trees. The trees were planted in single lines along
either side of the road at a regular spacing of 35-40ft apart,
and set back from the edge of the carriageway approximately
15-20ft. Each newly planted tree was protected by a
substantial timber guard, to which a plate bearing each
soldiers name, rank and unit was attached.
Originally 23 different species of trees were planted in the
Avenue including American Ash, English Ash, Mountain Ash,
North American Maple, Scarlet Oak, Norway Maple, Broadleaf
Maple, English Maple, Alder Trees, Lime Trees, Ontaria
Poplars, Silver Birch, Deciduous Cypress, Oaks (Sailors),
Purple Leaf Elm, New Silver Poplars, Tulip trees, Huntingdon
Elms, Canadian Giant Elms, Oriental Planes, Black Italian
Poplars, Sugar Maple and Chestnut Oak. Individual species were
usually planted in blocks of about 50 trees (25 either side),
however during the last two sections of the Avenue a slight
change was made and two different species were used
alternately and planted in blocks of around 100 trees). Many
of the original species used in the Avenue did not flourish
and were soon replaced by several different species of Elm
Ulmus sp. and Poplar Populus sp.
 Bronze
Memorial Plaques
In 1934 the original Avenue name plates fixed to the tree
guards (most of which were lost or missing) were replaced with
the permanent bronze name plaques in the Avenue today.
Manufactured by the local Ballarat firm of Mann Bros., the
plaques were hand cast in gunmetal and bolted to mild steel
straps set in concrete footings at the base of each tree.
The previous Avenue name plates fixed to the tree guards
between 1917 and 1919 originally recorded each soldier's name
(including full Christian name), unit and rank. However, in
1934 the Arch of Victory Avenue of Honour Committee decided
that no reference to any title or rank should be included on
the new plaques, and that full Christian names would be
replaced with an initial. Consequently, each bronze plaque
records a soldier's name (surname with up to three initials),
tree number and battalion. When known, many of the plaques
also included a cross below a soldier's name to indicate that
they were killed in action.
 Arch
of Victory Unveiled 2nd June 1920
The result of a
great deal of work by the girls employed by E Lucas and Co., who raised the money required
to build the Arch.
The foundation stone was laid on the 7th February 1920 by General Sir William Birdwood and
the Arch was opened on the 2nd of June 1920 by the Prince of Wales. The Arch is made of
bricks, cement rendered. On sunday 13th March 1938, Mr S Walker, President of the Ballarat
RSSIA unveiled the Temple of Remembrance which is situated at the entrance of the Avenue
of Honour. The temple houses a Book of Remembrance which contains a number of steel sheets
upon which have been inscribed the names of every person in whose honour a tree has been
planted in the Avenue. On the 7th of November 1954, Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead
unveiled two tablets to acknowledge the services of the men and women from Ballarat in the
1939 - 1945 war.
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF
EVENTS
1917 Employees of Ballarat textile mill E. Lucas & Co.
began planting the Avenue of Honour along the
Ballarat-Burrumbeet Road on June 3rd to commemorate the
soldiers, sailors and nurses from the district who served
during World War One.
1919 Final planting (eighth section) of the Avenue of Honour
on August 16th. The completed Avenue comprised 3,771 trees (23
species), extended over a distance of approx. 14 miles and
cost a little over £2,000. A returned soldier was employed to
maintain the Avenue.
1920 Arch of Victory at the Ballarat end of the Avenue
officially opened by the Prince of Wales on June 3rd (third
anniversary of first tree planting). The Arch cost a total of
£2,105, with funds raised by the Lucas Girls.
1921 Two captured German Gun war trophies placed at the Arch
of Victory unveiled on Anzac Day.
1925 Fundraising to provide permanent name plates for the
Avenue begun by the Lucas Girls with the sale of surplus
seeds, bulbs and plants from the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.
1931 Arch of Victory Avenue of Honour Committee formed to
assume responsibility for administration of funds for
maintenance of the Arch and Avenue and provision of permanent
name plates. Took over from the committee at E. Lucas & Co.
who had previously maintained the Arch and Avenue.
1934 Permanent bronze name plates installed at the Avenue of
Honour. Manufactured by the Ballarat firm of Mann Bros., the
name plates cost approx. £1,630 (inc. installation).
1935 Temporary floodlighting installed at the Arch of Victory
for the Ballarat Centenary celebrations.
1936 Memorial Cairn and Cross of Remembrance erected at the
western end of the Avenue near Learmonth unveiled on Armistice
Day (renewed in more permanent materials in 1959).
1938 Rotunda and Roll of Honour to the memory of Ballarat and
district soldiers, sailors and nurses who served during World
War One erected approx. 200 yards west of the Arch outside the
Ballarat Golf Club. The memorial contained a Book of
Remembrance recording the names of every person for whom a
tree had been planted in the Avenue of Honour.
1940 Committee experimented with different methods of cleaning
and securing name plates over the next few years, and approx.
150 plates at the Ballarat end of the Avenue removed from
stands and screwed to the trees.
1950 Official Anzac Day dawn service shifted from the Arch of
Victory to the newly erected Cenotaph on Sturt Street. Short
wreath laying ceremonies were still held at the Arch during
subsequent years.
1954 Two granite plaques added to the Arch to commemorate the
services of members of the Army, Navy and Air Force during
World War Two unveiled on Remembrance Day.
 1957
First meeting of the Arch of Victory Avenue of Honour
Committee in over 11 years following the deaths of 6 key
members.
1960 CRB proposed scheme to replant 160 trees in the Avenue to
allow for realignment of dangerous portions of the Western
Highway.
1965 CRB announced proposed scheme to widen Avenue to allow
for construction of a four lane divided highway, including
realignment of the roadway around the Arch. Regular
replacement of dead/missing trees discontinued because a major
replanting scheme was considered necessary.
1970 CRB introduced plantations of native trees and shrubs on
the south side of the road reserve west of the Cardigan
Railway Line to replace Avenue trees and allow for duplication
of the roadway (242 name plates were relocated to these
plantations in 1987). Numerous trees removed from the Avenue
during the 1970s and early 1980s to allow for intersection
improvements and entrances to various Caravan Parks,
Hotels/Motels and residential estates.
1977 Following a number of fatal road accidents RCA introduced
a variety of improvements to the highway over the next few
years including corner delineators, raised reflective pavement
markers and trebling the number of guide posts over a section
of the Avenue.
 1985
Old paintwork removed and the Arch restored to its original
render finish at a cost of $4,360.
1987 Memorial plaques on the Arch dedicated to Malaya, Korea,
Borneo and Vietnam Veterans unveiled on October 25th. 400
trees replanted in the Avenue in a joint project between the
Committee, Eureka Apex Club, and the Shire and City Councils.
1988 Avenue of Honour classified by the National Trust of
Australia (Victoria) on the Register of Significant Trees.
First stage of the Ballarat Bypass begun by the RCA.
1990 Total of 102 existing Avenue trees removed by VicRoads
during the widening of three intersections along the Western
Highway - Haddon Road & Windermere Road intersection, Heinz
Lane intersection, and Crown and Sceptre Road & Finches Road
intersection - with replacement trees planted approx. 9m back
from the edge of the roadway. Arch of Victory Avenue of Honour
Committee formed a policy on Western Highway Bypass,
supporting moves which reduce traffic volumes and improve road
safety on this section of the Highway but objecting to the way
in which the Bypass breaks the Avenue into two separate parts
at the Avenue Road intersection. Committee incorporated on
January 30th.
1991 Rumble strips and tactile line marking introduced along
the Avenue by VicRoads to improve road safety. Public appeal
for $100,000 for Memorial Wall Project and $50,000 for Avenue
of Honour Preservation and Enhancement Fund launched by the
Committee on Anzac Day. Numerous authorities, organisations,
charities and individuals approached for assistance over the
following two years.
1992 Total of 24 existing Avenue trees removed by VicRoads
during the widening of Dowling Road intersection, with
replacement trees planted approx. 9m back from the edge of the
roadway. Avenue of Honour entered on the Australian Heritage
Commission Register of the National Estate on June 30th.
1993 Memorial Wall Project adjacent to the Arch of Victory
officially opened by Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop on May 16th.
Erected at a cost of approx. $140,000 the project comprised a
10m long x 1.8m high wall with bronze plates recording the
names and tree numbers of the service men and women honoured
in the Avenue, and included the relocation of the Memorial
Rotunda from outside the Ballarat Golf Club erected in 1938.
1994 Ballarat Bypass completed late in the year, reducing
traffic along the Avenue by an estimated 80 percent. Approx.
16 existing trees in the Avenue removed by VicRoads during
construction of the Bypass, with replacement trees planted on
the outer edge of the Freeway reserve and along the southern
side of Gluepot Road. Elms in the Avenue damaged by accidental
drift from spraying of herbicide which covered a 500km2 area
of central Victoria.
1996 Arch of Victory relight with new floodlights, and with
the assistance of a National Estate grant the Committee
commissioned the preparation of a Management Strategy Plan for
the Avenue of Honour.
Ballarat's Arch of Victory
reopens
Courtesy of The Ballarat Courier
Article by Jorden Oliver Nov 6 2011
 HUGE
crowds gathered at Ballarat’s historic Arch of Victory
yesterday for the grand reopening of the monument, 91 years
since Edward Prince of Wales first cut the ribbon.Australia’s
Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, officially reopened the Arch,
following six months of restoration works.Ms Bryce arrived at
midday, greeting children bearing flowers before making her
way to the podium, where she addressed the 800-strong
crowd.“You must have great pride in this wonderful regional
centre – the grandeur of public and private buildings, the
grid of gardens, elegant wide streets and imposing city
structures,” she told the crowd.“All reminders of the
prosperity that build your city, a city of rich history.”Ms
Bryce said the Arch of Victory and the adjacent Avenue of
Honour were powerful reminders of the sacrifice of countless
men and women. “I think that an avenue of trees makes the most
touching, evocative and powerful memorial,” she said.“This
Arch of Victory stands as a lasting memorial to all those who
fought for our freedom during the last century. It stands for
future generations of young people as a symbol of inspiration
and courage.”She said it was “uplifting” to note the employees
of a local textile company, affectionately known as the “Lucas
Girls”, had raised enough funds to originally build the Arch
in 1920.The $810,000 restoration includes $510,000 in funding
from the federal government and $300,000 from the City of
Ballarat.The restoration included a full pressure clean of the
structure, repairs to cornices and mouldings, installation of
new lighting, application of a ‘breathable’ mineral paint
coating, replacement of the roof structure, restoration of
commemorative plaques and restoration of the adjacent
infrastructure.Federal Member for Ballarat Catherine King said
the Arch of Victory was an enduring monument to the service
and sacrifice of Australian servicemen and women.“Protecting
and investing in heritage places enables us to understand and
appreciate our past,” she said.
COMPARATIVE OVERVIEW OF
AVENUES OF HONOUR IN VICTORIA
The practice of planting of trees for commemorative
purposes dates back to antiquity, the Romans pioneering the
concept of commemorative tree planting along roads with the
burying their dead outside the city in tombs strung along the
roadside.
In Australia commemorative trees have been planted in public
spaces since the late nineteenth century. As Dickens (1985)
notes, a huge interest in plants among Victorians was created
by the ever increasing numbers of 'new' plants becoming
available, and trees were planted on every possible occasion.
Arbor Days were held regularly in most Victorian State Schools
during the late 1800's and early 1900's, and numerous trees
were planted in parks in Melbourne and throughout Victoria to
mark the visits of important and famous people. This tradition
of commemorative planting was continued in 1901 when at the
end of the Boer War trees were often planted for each soldier
of the district who was killed in South Africa. In Australia
the use of trees as a memorial to soldiers may date from the
Boer War, however these plantings rarely consisted of more
than two or three trees in each town.
In contrast, the number of dead from the First World War was
enormous. By 1918 the extremely high casualty rate of 64.93%
(highest of all the allied forces) meant that every Australian
was related to or closely associated with someone who had been
killed during the war. For Australians the war was
personalised. These facts help to explain why most Australians
were involved in creating war memorials (Australia outdoes all
other nations in war memorials). Many towns began plans for
their memorials well before the War had ended. The Avenues of
Honour at Ballarat, Ballarat East, Cambrian Hill, Digby and
Seymour were begun in 1917, with a further 15 avenues planted
elsewhere during the following year. As many of the Avenues of
Honour were planted while the servicemen were still overseas,
a tree was usually planted for each person who served in the
War rather than only for those who had died. Due to the sheer
numbers involved, raising money for the trees , tree guards
and name plates was often quite difficult. Even so, avenues
were usually (though not always) a cheaper option than stone
obelisks or statues and it has been suggested this may be one
reason why many of the smaller country towns decided to plant
avenues over other types of memorials (Dickens 1985; Haddow
1987).
A National Survey of War Memorials in 1920-21 indicates that
at least 121 Avenues of Honour were planted throughout
Australia in response to the First World War - 92 in Victoria,
14 in New South Wales, 12 in Tasmania, 2 in Western Australia
and 1 in South Australia. By the Second World War avenue
planting had lost much of its original popularity, and in
Victoria only 11 new avenues were planted and extensions made
to 7 existing World War One avenues (Refer to Appendix 4).
Distribution:
Avenues of Honour are a uniquely Australian phenomenon.
Australians, and in particular Victorians, embraced the idea
of planting Avenues of Honour more enthusiastically than any
other country in the world. Despite the research of others
(Dickens 1985; Haddow 1987), there are no known Avenues of
Honour in the United States, United Kingdom or New Zealand.
Avenues of Honour were a more popular form of war memorial in
Victoria than in any other state of Australia. Returns from
the 1920-21 National Survey of War Memorials indicate that in
Victoria avenues represented 10% of all war memorials, in
Tasmania 5%, Western Australia 1%, New South Wales 1% and
South Australia less than 1%. In terms of the total number of
avenues Victoria, NSW and Tasmania dominate. Nationally,
Avenues of Honour are a south-eastern Australian phenomenon
with Victoria representing 78% of those avenues. In Victoria
the majority of avenues occur in the Central Highlands region,
with very few in the Wimmera, Mallee or East Gippsland. Within
this broader distribution pattern the avenues predominantly
appear in clusters with the majority located in country
Victoria (Haddow 1987 & 1988b).
Research by Haddow (1987) suggests that the concentration of
avenues in the Central Highlands region of Victoria can
probably be attributed to the effect of the Ballarat Avenue of
Honour - the earliest and largest recorded avenue in
Australia. Established amidst much interest and enthusiasm,
the Ballarat avenue was grand in conception and form, and no
other avenue involved so many people or fundraising
activities, cost so much or consisted of so many trees. It is
conceivable that the Ballarat avenue acted as a stimulus for
other communities who were debating the type of memorial they
would erect or that it was the catalyst for communities
already pre-disposed to the concept of tree the planting form
of memorial.
From its inception the Ballarat avenue was associated with
some influential figures - the charismatic Mrs Thompson, the
State Premier, various other MP's and later the Prince of
Wales. It was inevitable that knowledge of the avenue would
spread, that the activities of the Lucas Girls and the opening
by the Prince of Wales would receive Local, State and National
publicity. Apart from the avenue itself the rather unusual
family-like atmosphere of the firm E. Lucas & Co and the
companionship between the Lucas girls is likely to have
created some interest. The fund raising activities ensured
that thousands of people were exposed to the idea of the
avenue whether through the football matches, afternoon teas
and garden parties or simply the purchase of a doll, necklace
or souvenir booklet. Ballarat was an important regional centre
in the Central Highlands and many people passed through it
either holidaying or on business.
The great majority of Avenues of Honour were planted along
National and State Highways or major connecting roads,
therefore Avenues of Honour had maximum public exposure
because they were associated with major transport links within
the State. The importance of major transport links is also
demonstrated by the apparent clustering pattern of the
avenues, where most of the Avenues of Honour are clustered and
linked with important regional centres such as Albury, Orbost,
Bairnsdale, Traralgon, Leongatha, Berwick, Lilydale, Seymour,
Hamilton, Dimboola and Ballarat (Haddow 1987).
Population, geographic and climatic factors also appear to
have influenced the distribution of avenues throughout the
state. Haddow (1987) suggests that low population densities in
the North East and Central Gippsland possibly account for the
fact that few avenues exist in these areas. Low population
densities reflect the difficulties of terrain and
communication. In both these regions the climate would have
been suitable for growing exotic trees (the preferred species
during WWI), by contrast the Mallee and Wimmera were not
climatically suited to growing European trees and those
examples which do exist are of Australian natives - Sugar Gum
Eucalyptus cladocalyx at Pyramid Hill, Kaniva and Kotupna and
Kurrajong Brachychiton populneum at Nathalia. Droughts during
the periods 1913-16 and again in 1918-20 affected northern
Victoria in particular and may also have influenced decisions
about planting avenues (Haddow 1987).
Haddow (1987) speculates on several reasons for the apparent
greater popularity of Avenues of Honour in rural Victoria. In
addition to the often cheaper costs than other types of
memorials, perhaps roadside land was more available in rural
areas whereas in the city the land was in private or
government ownership. In urban areas avenue planting may also
have been complicated by services such as gas, electricity,
water, pedestrian and vehicle routes. To account for the
Australia wide distribution of Avenues of Honour is more
difficult. It is possible that the Ballarat Avenue had some
impact on a national level but this would have been minimal as
even within Victoria its impact decreased with distance.
Haddow suggests that climatic factors and population
distribution are the most likely influences. In Victoria
Avenues of Honour are generally under-represented in areas of
low population and climatic difficulty. The harsh climate and
low rainfall of South Australia may help to explain why there
was only one Avenue of Honour in that state. In Western
Australia only two Avenues of Honour were recorded in the
1920-21 survey of War Memorials. Poor climate and soils for
growing exotic trees (the preferred species during WWI) may
account for the lack of popularity of avenues in that state.
In contrast Victoria has long been referred to as the 'Garden
State' and no other state can grow exotic trees so
extensively.
Community Origins and
Involvement:
Avenues of Honour held a special importance for a city or
town and reveal a great deal about the attitudes of the local
community towards those who served during the First or Second
World Wars. Avenues of Honour were not the result of
Government legislation but were borne (along with all war
memorials) of a common social cause and commitment. The
majority of war memorials of both the First and Second World
Wars were paid for by funds raised locally, and to some extent
the type of memorial reflected the wealth and size of the
community. In Victoria the type and location of the memorial
was usually decided in public forums such as the local
Progress Association or at special public meetings, then
funded by public subscription and other fundraising
activities.
Unlike most other types of memorials, Avenues of Honour
involved a high level of participation by the local community
of the city or town in which they occurred. At Ballarat the
Avenue was planted by the staff of E. Lucas & Co, while
fathers and uncles helped dig holes for the trees and local
farmers delivered wagon loads of timber to the site for tree
guards. Similarly, at Rokewood the trees were supplied by the
residents and planted by voluntary labour, in Piggoret the
trees were planted at working bees by enthusiastic residents,
and in Seymour the Avenue was planted by school children (Haddow
1987).
In contrast, when communities chose memorials such as statues,
obelisks or honour boards the work required skilled
tradespeople and consequently the community was less involved
in actually creating the memorial. Often these types of
memorial were crafted and assembled in factories hundreds of
miles away (and sometimes overseas) using imported materials
and tradespeople. As Haddow notes, Avenues more than other
types of war memorials exhibit their populist and vernacular
origins, so that, while they are symbols of a national cause
they have been created by local communities and exhibit many
interesting local variations.
Tree Species:
Since ancient times specific plants have been associated with
death, its rituals and surroundings. In burial grounds around
the world Cypress, Yew, Weeping Willows and Poppies are the
traditional symbols of melancholy, while Laurels, Oaks and
Olive trees are suggestive of longevity and honour. Specific
plant forms also have important associations with
commemoration of the dead. Trees which are vertical or
pyramidal such as Poplars and Cypress are often used to
symbolise 'the elevation of the soul from worldly concerns and
focusing heavenward on the external', while the weeping form
of Birch and Willow signify 'grief, sorrow and mourning' (Curl
1980; Etlin 1984).
Of the 58 Avenues of Honour in Victoria which are still known
to exist only 10 bare any association with plant symbolism.
There are Cypress avenues (death and melancholy) at Lara,
Moonie Ponds, Mortlake, Inverleigh and Coleraine, the Pine
avenue (mortality) at Corindhap, the Oak avenues (virtue and
majesty) at Cranbourne and Woodend, the Palm avenue
(martyrdom, victory) at Epsom and the Walnut avenue (funeral
tree) at Tourello. And only for the Avenues at Sandringham
where it was decided to plant Red Flowering Gums Eucalyptus
ficifolia 'so that they would form a scarlet coated guard of
honour in summer' is there any record of a deliberate choice
being made based on plant symbolism (Haddow 1987).
Rather, it appears that the choice of tree species had more to
do with the availability of plants, fashion and
practicability. In the Western District for example, Pines and
Cypress had been used extensively since the 1870's, while in
the case of Mt Macedon the avenue Committee's choice was
determined by 'the opinion of experts'. Similarly, avenues
from the First World War consisted overwhelmingly of European
or exotic species which were popular at the time, where as the
use of native plants in avenues was more common in Second
World War avenues following their gain in general popularity
during the 1920's (Haddow 1987).
EXISTING HERITAGE
CLASSIFICATIONS
National Trust of Australia (Victoria):
The Ballarat Avenue of Honour was 'classified' on the National
Trust of Australia (Victoria) Register of Significant Trees on
15 December 1988. The classification was defined as an Avenue
comprising 3091 trees (Ulmus sp.) on the Western Highway from
Ballarat and the Learmonth Road. The estimated age of the
trees was 69-71 years, and the Avenue was rated as being in
good to fair condition. The citation for the Avenue is as
follows:
At 22km this WWI avenue is by far the longest in Victoria and
possibly the State's first commemorative planting. Following
this planting, some 128 avenues were planted in Victoria,
particularly around Ballarat. The avenue was planted between 3
June 1917 and 16 August 1919 by the three Lucas sisters from
the Ballarat Fashion House of E. Lucas and Co. The best
sections of the avenue - mixed species of mainly Elms, Ash and
Poplars - occur along Learmonth Road and near the Arch of
Victory. The avenue is in urgent need of attention and the
substitute plantings of mixed natives are inappropriate.
The Avenue was classified by the Trust on the basis of the
following criteria:
(2) Any tree which occurs in a unique location or context and
so provides a contribution to the landscape, including native
remnant vegetation, important landmarks, and trees which form
part of an historic garden, park or town.
(8) Any tree commemorating a particular occasion (including
plantings by Royalty) or having associations with an important
historic event.
Australian Heritage Commission:
The Ballarat Avenue of Honour was entered on the Australian
Heritage Commission Register of the National Estate on 30 June
1992. The listing was defined as 'an avenue of trees, about
22km long, on either side of the Western Highway, from the
Arch of Victory near Learmonth Street, Ballarat, and Avenue
and Burrumbeet-Learmonth North Roads, to the intersection of
the latter with the Weatherboard Learmonth Road'. The Avenue
was noted as consisting predominantly of Elms, but represented
eleven different exotic species in total (Ulmus x hollandica,
U. vegeta, U. x hollandica Purpurascens, Populus nigra 'Italica',
P. x canescens, P. alba 'Pyramidalis, Fraxinus excelsior, F.
americana, Acer campestre, Quercus palustris, Taxodium
distichum). It was also noted that many of the original 3912
trees have died or been removed during roadworks. Many of the
trees were in need of horticultural attention, and many of the
name plaques had disappeared. In spite of this the Avenue
remains remarkably intact and is one of the healthiest in
Victoria (May 1990). The AHC Official Statement of
Significance is as follows:
The Ballarat Avenue of Honour is significant as the earliest
known memorial avenue to have been planted in Victoria, and
appears to have stimulated similar plantings throughout
Victoria in the years 1917 to 1921. They predominate in
Victoria with the greatest concentration in the Central
Highlands around Ballarat. These avenues represent a new
egalitarian approach in the commemoration of soldiers where
service rank was not a consideration and are illustrative of a
peculiarly Australian, populist and vernacular response to the
experience of the First World War. They had declined in
popularity as a means of commemoration by the time of the
Second World War (Criterion A.4) The Ballarat Avenue is the
longest avenue of honour in Australia and, composed of exotic
trees planted along a major road, is a dominant landscape
feature in the low farming country with a powerful social
message.
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