So it made me want to write about something very special here inAustralia. We too have memorial trees, these are for our fallen soldiers from WW1. In the township of Lakes Entrance in Victoria, there was an Avenue of Honour of Monterey Cypress Trees planted ( in 1924). This was to remember the 26 local men that were killed in that war.
Story goes that some of the trees were removed for various reasons over the years and back in 1997 the council was going to remove the remainder, with much upheaval from the local community.
Following a public campaign by the Lakes Entrance Regional Historical Society the trunks of six of the trees have been preserved and transformed into memorial sculptures by chainsaw artist John Brady. These sculptures are regularly waxed and oiled to preserve the wood.
Wounded Soldier and Donkey. CARVED BY JOHN BRADY, JUNE 1998.
Family waiting for dad. Carved by John Brady, Feb 1999.
WW1 Nurse. CARVED BYJOHN BRADY, AUG 1998.
SIMPSON* HELPING A WOUNDED SOLDIER TO WHERE HIS DONKEY AND ANOTHER PATIENT WAITS CARVED BY JOHN BRADY, SEPT 1998.
Soldier WWI SOLDIER byJOHN BRADY, MAY 1998.
Each sculpture has a plaque attached similar to:THESE SCULPTURES HONOUR THE MEMORY OF FIRST WORLD WAR DEAD AND INJURED PLEASE TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT LAKES ENTRANCE R.S.L.
* Private John Simpson Kirkpatrick was a stretcher bearer on Gallipoli who used a donkey to rescue wounded soldiers.
So there you have it, a small history lesson for everyone. Have a wonderful and safe weekend my friends :)
