Casterton & District Historical Society Inc.

According to articles located in the "The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record" Casterton commenced the planting a World War 1 Soldiers' Memorial Avenue of Honor on the Coleraine-road, Casterton, S-W Victoria, Australia, commencing at Pearce's Bridge in 1918.

Why didn't the plantings continue? Other articles in the "Casterton News" indicate that there were plans to continue to avenue out the Coleraine-road from Casterton towards "The Lodge" near the road branch which heads to Wando Vale and Edenhope.

"The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record" (Vic.) Thursday, 22nd August 1918.

Soldiers' Memorial Avenue : Start Made at Casterton.

Following upon the preparations of the previous Saturday the Coleraine road from Pearce's Bridge again presented a busy appearance on Saturday last. In the morning the members of the trees' and guards' committees tackled the work in real earnest, and had a large number of guards erected and the soil properly prepared for the reception of the trees before noon.

In the afternoon quite a crowd of workers, consisting of returned soldiers, Councillors, members of Committee, and others were in attendance, together with a large number of lady visitors, relatives of soldiers and others, and soon had the preliminary work carried out.

An apology was received from Cr. J. J. Durack, and Mr G. T. Graham, Digby. The trees planted consisted of Lambertianas, and though small were healthy and in the congenial soil of the district it is expected they will soon develop into substantial specimens of cypress trees. The trees were numbered, and a record kept by the secretaries, Messrs W. A. W. Kell and H. S. McBean, of each one who planted a tree. Farrier-Sergeant W. J. Gavan was the first to plant a tree, as the footballers required his services as as umpire, he having failed in health whilst assisting to adjudicate in the glorious struggle for freedom on the other side of the globe.

The planting was officially opened by the President of Glenelg Shire (Cr. J. Little) who said he was proud that day to have the honor of officially planting the first tree in the Soldiers' Memorial Avenue. Honor was due to the A.N.A., the members of which had originated the movement and were responsible for the start that was made that day. It was not, however, the ceremony proper. It was the start of the Avenue, and he hoped that it would be continued to the boundary of the Glenelg Shire, and then the avenue could be further continued on the Mount Gambier road. He had himself favored the Sandford road site, yet though beaten he was satisfied to go on with the movement, and assist in as that small way to honor their brave soldiers. When the trees planted that day were named, they world be in honor of fallen soldiers, and when sufficient had been planted a tree would he named for each soldier. He thanked Messrs Peden and Tytherleigh for their extra work which enabled the guards to be completed in time, the public and the workers who had attended on that and the previous Saturday.

Cr. J. W. Murrell said he had not come to speak. He was proud to be there, and to see that a start had been made with the Soldiers' Avenue. The trees would keep in their memories the heroic deeds their soldiers had done for them. He thanked all who had worked so hard.

Trees were planted as follows by the Councillors present, returned soldiers, and relatives of soldiers :

1. Cr. J. Little
2. Cr. J. W. Murrell
3. Cr. L. T. Koch
4. Cr. R. F. Hedditch
5. Cr. H. J. Munro
6. Cr. G. L. Young
7. Cr. A. Mitchell
8. Mr R. E. Robinson
9. Sergeant L. T. O'Neill, M.M.
10. Mrs J. McLaughlin (per D. V. West)
11. Private G. Peachey
12. Driver W. Burchell
13. Mrs Jelly
14. Sergeant W. J. Gavan
15. Mrs A. Murrell
16. Lance-Corporal H. L. Fell
17. Miss McLennan
18. Private A. J. Doyle
19. Mrs J. McDonald
20. Mrs J. Boyd
21. Mrs J. Critchlow
22. Mrs W. Smith
23. Miss Harris
24. Mr A. Patterson
25. Miss Pearce
26. Lieutenant H. Patterson (per Mr A. Patterson)
27. Private J. McIntyre
28. Miss Patterson
29. Private W. Munro
30. Private A. Lowe
31. Mrs W. G. McKinney
32. Private G. Davis (per Mrs J. Davis)
33. Mrs J. Greenham
34. Private C. Davis (per Mr J. Davis)
35. Mrs W. Gavan
36. Mr J. McKinnon
37. Mr J. Davis
38. Mr H. Hornibrook
39. Mr W. Clayton
40. Mr G. Holmes
41. Mr J. Glancy
42. Mrs J. Meers
43. Mr A. G. Cowland
44. Corporal. E. Fell (per L.-Corporal H. L. Fell)
45. Mr C. Smith
46. Mr A. McDonald
47. Mr W. R. Corney
48. Mr W. H. Zimmer
49. Miss Gazzard
50. Mr T. R. Tytherleigh

The Secretaries desire that special thanks he tendered to Mr J. Greenham for carting done and assistance rendered.