Located in the NE corner of the Penguin General Cemetery this Gallipoli Lone Pine’s day has come. Council determined the tree must come down due to extensive wind damage.

From a population back then of just 1124, 107 of Penguin’s men had enlisted for WW1 of which 26 were killed.

Among those enlisted was Sergeant Hedley Deverell who planted the ANZAC tree in 1967 on behalf of the RSL to remember the fallen (The Advocate 23 October 1967). And here we are 57 years later bidding it farewell, and before its time (The Advocate 19 March 2024).

So how best to commemorate the tree and what it means to the community. Propagating it from seeds is one thought. Turning the stump into a chain-saw artwork another. Maybe chipping it to bark somewhere meaningful in town. The idea of painting the stump blue was rejected by the Blue Tree Project organisation.

The good news is whatever happens to the tree the adjacent plaque will live on to share the story of this Lone Pine in the heritage cemetery lookout.

In memory of the fallen
This tree
which originated from seed taken from the historic Lone Pine on Gallipoli was planted by
SGT H Deverell – an original ANZAC on 21st October 1967.
Lest we forget