The Arch of Victory Avenue of Honour Committee has criticized recent tree-lopping works carried out by Powercor along Ballarat’s famed Avenue of Honour, describing the treatment of several trees as unacceptable.
Committee president Garry Snowden said the trees hold significant historical importance for Ballarat, with each planted to commemorate local service people who served during World War One.
Mr Snowden said the Committee was particularly concerned about works affecting trees dedicated to three Ballarat nurses – Gertrude Munro, Bessie Thompson and Bertha Peady.
“The Avenue’s trees represent the tangible way our community honours the promise made to our Ballarat servicemen and women of World War 1 that ‘We will remember them’,” Mr Snowden said.
“The butchering these trees have been subjected to is nothing short of vandalism.”
Mr Snowden highlighted the story of Sister Gertrude Evelyn Munro, whose dedicatory tree was among those affected by the recent works.
Sister Munro served as a nurse during World War One and died in Salonika, Greece, in October 1918 while serving as the senior nurse of a hospital caring for sick and wounded soldiers. An article published in The Advertiser in 1926 noted Sister Munro was the only Australian buried in the Salonika war cemeteries at the time.
“Nurse Munro gave her life in World War 1, and it is unthinkable that her tree has been treated with such a lack of thought and respect by these works,” Mr Snowden said.
“It is heart-breaking to see the damage to these trees.”
The volunteer-run Arch of Victory Avenue of Honour Committee works to protect and preserve the historic Avenue and has raised its concerns directly with Powercor, calling the company to review its tree-lopping practices along the Avenue.
It has also urged Powercor to consider alternative methods for future maintenance works to prevent similar damage to commemorative trees.
Powercor have been contacted for comment.
