Buln Buln WWI Avenue of Honour

This WWI Avenue of Honour in the town of Buln Buln, north of Warragul, can be seen along Old Sale Rd from Brandy Creek Rd to Buln Buln Primary School.

Consisting of English Elms, the avenue of trees was dedicated on July 27, 1918. It is believed 50 or 60 elms were originally planted.

An avenue of honour is a memorial avenue of trees often with each tree symbolising a person. Most avenues in Victoria are for those who fought or died in war, particularly World War I.

Often soldiers were grouped according to the place they were recruited. As a result, many young men from one area could sadly lose their lives when involved in battle.

At Buln Buln, brass name plaques dedicated to individual servicemen were attached to picket fences around the trees. The website "Virtual War Memorial" says these were still in place in 1954 but were subsequently removed.

This avenue of English Elms has 47 trees remaining today which are 104-years-old.

It's sobering to remember that each tree represents someone: someone's brother, husband, uncle or son who went to fight on foreign soil believing they were making a difference with their enlistment.

Trees are good at reminding us of the passage of time. How big these elms have grown remind us of the time some of these soldiers missed out on when they did not return home.

Information courtesy of Friends of Drouin's Trees. "Tree Talk" aims to provide insight into our district's significant trees.

If you have any information about these trees or would like to learn more, contact Friends of Drouin's Trees at friendsofdrouinstrees@gmail. com