details

Statement of Significance

On 24 October 1934, HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, planted a small Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis) in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial. He decorated it with a wreath of red poppies he had brought with him.

At that time, only the Memorial’s foundations had been built. The tree was surrounded by an almost empty paddock and came to be known as the Lone Pine. Shortly after the ceremony, a severe thunderstorm hit the area. The storm washed away a bridge over the Molonglo River, but the sapling stood firm.

In December 2008, the tree received Australia-wide media coverage when another severe storm caused a large branch to fall. Fortunately the tree survived. Branches which fall from the Lone Pine tree are recycled into collector’s items that are available from the Memorial Shop and online.

The Yarralumla Nursery began collecting and propagating seeds from the tree in the late 1940s. Since then, many seedlings have been distributed to RSL branches, schools and other organisations for commemorative purposes.

Two pines were taken to Gallipoli in 1990. They travelled with a group of First World War veterans, who returned to Gallipoli to attend the memorial service marking 75 years since the landing at Anzac Cove. Mr Alf Garland, National President of the RSL, planted one of the pines at Lone Pine during the wreath-laying ceremony.

The commemorative wreath is composed of four rows of scarlet poppies made from stiffened cotton fabric. Each poppy has green tipped black fibre stamens with an oxidised white metal button in the centre bearing 'HAIG'S FUND' in raised lettering. The bottom of the wreath bears fourteen additional larger poppies and poppy buds in darker red with green waxed paper leaves. The centre of these poppies also bear Haig's fund buttons. The poppies are secured to a coconut fibre base that is reinforced by short green painted wooden battens. Attached to the centre of the bottom of the wreath, with dark blue silk ribbon, is a visiting card bearing the crest of his Royal Highness, Henry, Duke of Gloucester. The Duke has written 'In memory Henry.' on it. The word 'Lee' has been added after 'Henry' at a later date.

In October 2009, a seedling was presented to Mr Ray Hasler to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the planting. Mr Hasler had attended the planting in 1934 as a 13-year-old Scout.

http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/lone/

History

This single Alleppo Pine, in a fenced enclosure in front and to the west of the Australian War Memorial, was raised from seed collected by a soldier who took part in the capture of Lone Pine Ridge, Gallipoli, on 6 August 1915. The young soldier's mother raised tree seedlings, presenting one to the Memorial in memory of a second son who was killed at Gallipoli. The other two seedlings were planted at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne and at Buchan in Victoria.

Location

In a fenced enclosure in front and to the west of the Australian War Memorial