The Lone Pine in Foley Park (Image: Phil Young)
The Lone Pine in Foley Park (Image: Phil Young)

To commemorate the centenary of Anzac, a Lone Pine (Pinus halepensis) was planted in Foley Park on Thursday 23 April by Lord Mayor Clover Moore. The pine tree was grown from seed collected from the lone pine at the Australian War Memorial, which in turn was grown with a seed from a pine cone taken from Gallipoli in 1915. The newly-planted sapling provided a fitting backdrop for the Anzac memorial ceremony at the Diggers Memorial a few days later.

Also in attendance were Deputy Lord Mayor, Robyn Kemmis, and RSL State Vice President, Mr John Haines, as well as members of the Glebe Society, including President, Ted McKeown. Ted said the tree was a poignant reminder of lives lost during World War I; ‘All our trees are valuable, but the Gallipoli pine that will be planted in this special place, will serve as a sentinel and an ongoing reminder of lives tragically lost,’ Mr McKeown said.