Avenues of Honour, Cypresses, Memorial Gates & Fencing

What is Significant?

The remnant Soldiers' Avenue of Sugar Gum Trees and six Golden Lambertianas in the Lara Recreation Reserve, the Avenue of Honour of Pinus Lambertianas along Walkers Road (between 11 and 39 Walkers Road) and the War Memorial Gates and associated fencing in the south-east corner of the Lara Recreation Reserve have significance for their commemorative associations with locals who fought and died in World Wars One and Two. Both Sugar Gums and Pine trees were planted in the reserve in 1918. The Pinus Lambertiana trees forming the boundaries to the recreation reserve (Walkers Road and southern portion along Mills Road) were planted well before 1947 and they may be associated with World War One commemorative plantings. It was in 1948 when the Avenue of Honour of 84 Pinus Lambertianas were planted in Walkers Road, with an additional six Golden Lambertianas grown to commemorate the six local soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice. These soldiers (and respective trees) are: Jim Austin (tree 1), John Austin (tree 2), Alex Bowler (tree 3), Keith Jenkins (tree 4), Gordon McIntyre tree (5), and Jim Payne (tree 6). In the south-east corner of the Lara Recreation Reserve are the Memorial Gates consisting of four rough-faced square granite piers with shallow obelisk cappings and slightly projecting plinths, and wide double metal gates in the centre, and small single metal gates to both sides. Metal fencing flanks the gates. The memorial trees and Avenue of Honour are showing signs of senescence. The Memorial Gates are in good condition.

How is it Significant?

The remnant Soldiers' Avenue of Sugar Gum trees, Pinus Lambertianas forming the boundaries to the Lara Recreation Reserve (Walkers Road boundary and southern portion of the Mills Road boundary), Avenue of Honour in Walkers Road and the Memorial Gates and associated fencing in the south-east corner of the Recreation Reserve are historically, socially, aesthetically and scientifically (botanically) significant at a LOCAL level. The row of less mature pines along the northern portion of the Mill Road boundary also contribute to the aesthetic significance of the place.

Why is it Significant?

The remnant Soldiers' Avenue of Sugar Gum trees, Avenue of Honour, six Golden Lambertianas adjacent to the Memorial Gates, and the Memorial Gates and fencing are historically and socially significant (Criteria A, H & G) for their associations with local residents who served and died in World Wars One and Two. They are valued by the Lara community as an important reminder of the contribution and sacrifice made by local men and women in these wars.

The rows of Pinus Lambertiana trees forming the boundaries to the Lara Recreation Reserve (along the southern boundary fronting Walkers Road and the southern portion of the Mills Road boundary) are historically significant (Criterion C) for their potential to yield further information about the historical evolution of the Recreation Reserve. Further research might reveal commemorative associations with local soldiers of the Great War.

The remnant Soldiers' Avenue of Sugar Gums, Avenue of Honour, Golden Lambertianas adjacent to the Memorial Gates and the Pinus Lambertiana trees forming the boundaries to the recreation reserve (Walkers Road and southern portion along Mills Road) are aesthetically and scientifically significant (Criteria E & F) as they are valued by the community for their visual qualities, forming an important cultural landscape in Walkers Road and within the Lara Recreation Reserve. The Memorial Gates and fencing are also aesthetically significant for their design and craftsmanship. The row of less mature Cypresses along the northern portion of the Mill Road boundary of the Recreation Reserve also make an aesthetic contribution to this part of the reserve, as an extension of the Pinus Lambertiana plantation, having replaced an earlier row of trees in this location.

Group

Monuments and Memorials

Category

Avenue of Honour