From seeds, history grew

In 2014 the Veterans and Families Garden Plot joined students from Rose Bay High School to grow Lone Pine seedlings as a Centenary of ANZAC and World War One project, with the Seed Bank providing the seeds and Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Nursery providing the expertise and venue to grow the seedlings. The Lone Pine (Pinus halepensis) has symbolic importance and is associated with the enduring Anzac spirit which promotes the ideals of the Australian soldiers’ tenacity and courage. It is likewise representative of the bond between Australians and New Zealanders and the friendship that later developed with the Turkish people. This tree is associated with the Battle of Lone Pine, one of the bloodiest engagements of the Gallipoli campaign. During the afternoon of August 6, 1915 and over the ensuing four days, more than 2000 Australians and an estimated 5000-7000 Turks died in this war zone.

Ready for planting, the trees were distributed to schools, veteran and community groups before ANZAC Day, 2016. Attending the 2016 media launch from Rose Bay High School were participants of the Western Front Commemorative Tour and selected students from Grade 9 lines 3 and 7 History classes. Also in attendance were the President RSL Tasmania Branch, Deputy Commissioner Veterans Affairs, Director and Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Veterans from the Garden Plot and Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens representatives.

Rose Bay High School’s involvement commenced when the grade nine students of 2014 tried to source the trees for planting in their Commemorative Garden. They discovered Lone Pines were subject to stringent quarantine restrictions in Tasmania. Accordingly, the students hoped to make the plants more accessible locally by germinating the Lone Pines and distributing them to Tasmanian schools and organisations throughout the four years commemorating World War One.

Their plan received positive backing from the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and also the Veterans and Families’ Garden Plot. The students were provided with the opportunity to tour the Royal Botanical Gardens’ nursery facilities and under the expert direction of horticulturalist, Margot White, they sowed 140 seeds in tubes. The seeds planted are second generation descendants of the Lone Pine planted in 1934 at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. The seeds were nurtured in the Royal Botanical Gardens’ nursery and successfully developed into healthy saplings.

We would again like to take this opportunity to thank Margot White and David Reid from the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and Michael Romalis, Coordinator of the Veterans and Families’ Garden Plot. Their interest in our project and continuous encouragement and support were instrumental in the achievement of the realisation of the goal.

Suzanne Pattinson
Rose Bay High School