Published on Tuesday, 2 March 2021 at 3:59:36 PM
Preparations are underway at Leonard T Green Memorial Park to upgrade the park and further enhance the World War One commemorative site by planting 139 Lone Pine trees, descendants of the Gallipoli Tree that gave its name to the battle in 1915.
The City has allocated $450,000 in the current Budget for works in the Park formally known as Olive Street Reserve, which includes irrigating an area of turf with groundwater diverted from water efficient landscape works in the local area including a reduction in the irrigation of Brand Highway medians.
Project works include the creation of a turf area, upgrading the landscaping and installing a waterline to a section of the park for a proposed off lead dog exercise area (OLDEA) which would include a drink fountain.
The Lone Pine trees being grown for the Park are part of a two year long joint revegetation between the City of Greater Geraldton Community Nursery Volunteers and Parks Team staff who have been working together to propagate and cultivate the trees. Seed for the trees were collected from a specimen at Binnu Primary School which is understood to be a direct progeny of the lone Pine from the Gallipoli.
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said the trees will be a fitting addition to the Memorial Park which helps preserve the memory of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in Gallipoli during World War One.
“Our Lone Pine saplings are direct descendants of the solitary pine tree, the sole survivor of a group of trees on the Gallipoli peninsula that had been cut down by Turkish soldiers who used the timber and branches to cover their trenches during the 1915 Battle of Lone Pine in WW1,” he said.
“Even though that tree, fittingly named the Lone Pine, was obliterated during the battle, some of its pine cones were saved, sent to Australia by Gallipoli soldiers and their seeds have since generated further Lone Pine trees including the one planted at Binnu Primary School.
“The Lone Pine Project began shortly after the Memorial Park was officially opened in 2018 and once all the saplings have grown onto small trees they will be planted in the Park located at the Olive Street Reserve.”
Mayor Van Styn said the project is another good example of how the City has been using in house resources to deliver projects and programs.
“It’s great to see continued collaboration between the Parks Team and the Community Nursery to propagate and cultivate seedlings for the annual planting season,” he said.
“Last year, the 30,000 seedlings grown by Community Nursery volunteers, are now greening our City region’s parks, bushland and coastal reserves.
“Thanks to the passion and dedication of our Community Nursery volunteers we have a wide range of local provenance plants grown by the community, being put back into the community for the future of our community.”
If you would like more information on becoming a Community Nursery volunteer call the Community Nursery Officer on 0409 088 975 for more details or visit the City’s website www.cgg.wa.gov.au.
PICTURE CAPTION: City of Greater Geraldton’s Community Nursery Officer Jeanette Reynolds (from left) and Leading Hand Horticulture Maintenance Chris McKay assist Community Nursery Volunteers Anna Byer, Tobyn Fitch, Carol Davis and Helen Sumpton to pot Lone Pine saplings into 35litre bags, so the plants have room to grow into small trees.
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