Ballarat Woollen Mills Avenue of Honour

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Elm trees forming an Avenue of Honour in Hill Street. [Photograph: C.K. Gervasoni].
Lieutenant Thomas Brew, Australian War Memorial and Ballarat Courier 10 November 1917.

This avenue of honour is located in Mill Street outise the Ballarat Woollen Mill (also known as Sunnyside Woollen Mill) and was also known as the Mill Street Avenue of Honour. The Ballarat South Progress Association had a role in its establishment.[1]

Background

Also known as the Hill Street Avenue of Honour, this avenue of trees is in honour of employees of the Sunnyside Woollen Mills who enlisted during World War One was planted by union members along the main approach to the mills in December 1918. Known as the Sunnyside Woollen Mill Avenue of Honour each tree was plaqued with the name of a World War One soldier associated with the mill. It is one of the nine Ballarat avenues of honour. [2]

Notes

Ballarat South Progress Association ... The matter of assisting in the planting of the Avenue of Honor was held over till next meeting.[3]


Fifteen young men have gone from the Ballarat Woollen Mill to the war, and several of them, have made the supreme sacrifice. The directors of the company at their meeting yesterday unanimously agreed to purchase fifteen trees to be included in an avenue of honor, a tree to be named after each soldier who had gone from the mill.[4]


A GENEROUS ACT.
The improvements to Hill street and the approaches to the Sunnyside Woollen Mills were referred to by Cr Hill. He said that, the South ward was spending a good deal of money in doing that work. An avenue of trees was being planted, and the directors of the Woollen Mills had very kindly donated the cost of the tree guards, amounting to about £20. Such a gracious act showed that, the directors' of the Woollen Mills took a deep interest in the affairs of the City. He moved that the directors of the company be thanked for their gift, which he was sure was due chiefly to the thought of to mayor. Or Walker, in seconding the resolution, said that if every other public body in Ballarat assisted the council as the Woollen Mills had done they would be able to do much more fothr e City. Most public bodies took everything and did nothing. They appreciated the act of the directors of the Woollen Mills. What they had done would help to improve the roads and the city generally. Mayor Bell said that he could not claim any special honor in the matter. When it was mentioned to his co-directors they at once agreed with the idea. The motion was carried.[5]


Hill Street Avenue of Honor.— It is fitting that the main approach to the Sunnyside Woollen Mills from the City should be planted with an avenue of trees in honor of the employees of the mills who have enlisted. The idea was in the minds of the City councillors and the Board of Directors of the mills when the lmprovements to Hill street were mooted and to day it will assume concrete form when at noon, the trees in the avenue will be planted. Fourteen of the trees are to be dedicated to individual employees of the mills who have already enlisted and whose names are — E. Beaumont, E. Brownfield, F. Buckingham, W. Cocks, J. Drummond, A. Granland. W R. Hunter, W. G. Johnson W. O'Brien Allan Perry, D. Stevenson, W. Whatman, S. Wilson and W. Wright. The trees will be planted by the Mayor of the City (Cr the Hon, A. Bell, M.L.C,) who is also chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mills, and by the other members of the Board, present, and a general invitation has also been given to all employees at the Mills. The Mayor wishes that all relatives of the men to whom the trees are to be dedicated, who may not have received invitations, will take this invitation as a cordial request to be present.[6]


An avenue of trees in honour of employees of the Sunnyside Woollen Mills who have enlisted was planted along the main approach to the mills on Saturday. Amongst those present was the mayor (Councillor A. Bell, M. L. C.), who is the chairman of the company.[7]The Age, 03 March 1919.</ref>


Mr. Alex. Bell, M.L.C., who is a member of the city council, has donated to the Ballarat South Progress Association land and buildings at the intersection of South and Drummond streets, for the purpose of erecting a hall. The material in the buildings will be utilised in the new structure. The association has decided to plant trees in a reserve in Pleasant-street, in honor of the Ballarat South soldiers who served in the war.</ref>

Ballarat Woollen Mill Enlistments

In 2023 it is not known which soldiers who were associated with the Ballarat Woollen Mills had a tree in the Avenue planted in their honour. The following names are associated with the Ballarat Woollen Mills and service during World War One.


A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z

See also

Alexander Bell (c1851-1931)

Ballarat South Progress Association

Ballarat Woollen Mills

World War One

Notes


References

  1. ↑ Research by Michael Taffe, provided 2023.
  2. ↑ Michael Taffe (email re Avenue of Honour to Clare Gervasoni), 09 August 2011.
  3. ↑ 11 July 1917.
  4. ↑ Evening Echo, 17 July 1917.
  5. ↑ Ballarat Star, 02 July 1918.
  6. ↑ Ballarat Star, 24 August 1918.
  7. ↑ The Argus, 28 August 1918.
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