MEENIYAN HONOUR AVENUE

The Meeniyan Avenue of Honour, on Whitelaw Street and Geale Street, built in 1918, is significant. The Avenue of Honour has, over time, been split into three parts. This Avenue of Honour, made predominantly of Western Australian Flower Gums, is located at: 

The gap in the Avenue of Honour on Whitelaw Street suggests that some trees were removed to cater for the growth of the town. Newer plantings in the median strip (part 1) are not original but add to the significance of the Avenue in terms of aesthetics and a similar type of tree

The Meeniyan Avenue of Honour is of local historic, aesthetic and social significance to the South Gippsland Shire.

The Meeniyan Avenue of Honour is a rare example of a World War I memorial avenue that uses native Australian trees, which began to be popular after World War II. The Meeniyan Avenue of Honour demonstrates the impact of World War I on the Meeniyan community and surrounds. It also demonstrates the organisation of the community at this time to plan and execute such a large Avenue of Honour. (Criterion A) 
Aesthetically, the mature Avenue of Honour significantly contributes to the aesthetic and historic character of the commercial centre of Meeniyan. It also complements the World War I Soldiers Memorial (see ME-WH-WW1), which was constructed later as part of the Meeniyan median strip on Whitelaw Street. (Criterion E) 
Socially, this Avenue of Honour demonstrates how these rural communities attempted to memorialise those who went to war and support each other on the home front. Avenues of Honour were the only way communities, especially more isolated communities, could collectively process and grieve the significant impact that World War I had to their community, families and livelihoods. (Criterion G)