Avenues of Honour

FIRST TREE PLANTING CEREMONY FOR THE AVENUE OF HONOUR, NEAR THE CALEDONIAN BRIDGE. (image at left Museum Victoria)

Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour is justly famous, but did you know that there were (at last count) NINE Avenues in and around Ballarat including one at Sebastopol?

1. Lucas’s Ballarat Avenue of Honour
2. Ballarat North Avenue of Honour – Monash Avenue (beside the railway workshops)
3. Ballarat North Soldiers and Sailors Avenue of Honour (along Lydiard and Howitt streets) (particularly
honouring nurses)
4. Ballarat East Avenue of Honour (along Victoria St from the railway crossing out over Woodman’s Hill)
5. Ballarat High School Avenue of Honour (identified as inside the grounds of the High School)
6. Sebastopol Avenue of Honour (Birdwood Avenue) (at the time, Australia’s 3 rd biggest Avenue)
7. Golden Point Avenue of Honour (along Grant St)
8. Sunnyside Mill Avenue of Honour (Hill Street)
9. Ballarat Orphanage Avenue of Honour (at Mt Xavier)

The history of the Avenues in Ballarat is intensely interesting, particularly when viewed from Ballarat East and in light of old rivalries. In fact Ballarat North has the honour of the first two avenues, and, Lucas’s Avenue is actually in what was the Shire of Ballarat, not in the City at all!

I really strongly suggest anyone interested in the Avenues of Honour bring themselves to the Australiana Room at the Ballarat Library where they hold the copies of Michael Taffe’s two researches into the subject The Avenues of Honour, Ballarat and Victoria’s Avenues of Honour to the Great War lost to the landscape. The second thesis obviously covers a wider scope, but has many interesting thoughts regarding the loss of the Avenues, what they meant and what their absence means.

“Following the creation of such a significant entrance to the west at Ballarat, the poorer Ballarat East Town Council felt bound to balance it with a similar expression of honour in the east “ writes Michael, and the East Avenue was inaugurated on 25 August 1917. (You can read a short newspaper account in the digitised Courier, which TROVE has now made available for the Great War years.)

Michael Taffe goes on to discuss the politicking between the two municipalities (surprise surprise) (I told you it is
an interesting history) (and also very sad) and considers the loss to memory of these avenues. The Mayor’s Report of 1917 mentions an Orphanage Arboretum, but doesn’t say where – is this at Mt Xavier? My understanding is that it isn’t quite an Avenue, there. I guess I’ll find out if I go to the Rediscovery day.

It was very exciting when Michael was doing his research – seemingly a forgotten Avenue popped up every week. His main resources were newspaper accounts and Council correspondence held at the Public Record Office Victoria. His knowledge of the subject is very valuable, and he tells me he has learnt more since he did his studies. He has given a new meaning to our streetscapes.

There is a wonderful photograph of people at the first planting of the Ballarat East Avenue in Museum Victoria‘s collection http://museumvictoria.com.au/bfa/view_single.asp?qNum=MM%20000232

Ballarat East Historian – fabulous Edith…