Coburg’s little known Memorial Avenue of Trees.

Tucked away behind the Coburg State School Infant School (located on the south side of Bell Street, opposite the main school) once stood an Avenue of Honour, dedicated to the memories of 35 old boys of the school who enlisted in the 1st AIF.

The trees no longer exist, although a Memorial Garden was planted in the grounds in 1991 to honour those 35 old boys.

Image courtesy Coburg Historical Society.

The old boys remembered there are:

Tree 1: 5375 Private Edwin William Dunstan (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 2: 4188 Private Charles Henry Skiller (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 3: 13365 Private Leslie Thomas Ward (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 4: 3861 Private Rupert James Scott (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 5: Corporal Thomas Francis Quirke (died before embarking; also Soldiers Book)

Tree 6: 4520 Private Henry William Phair (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 7: 182 Lance Sergeant Ernest James Orr (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 8: William McKay (died before embarking; also Soldiers Book)

Tree 9: 1643 Private Allan Douglas McAskil (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 10: William Malcolmson (possibly 2743 Private William Frederick Malcomson)

Tree 11: 1989 Private William Thomas Libbis (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 12: 4006 Private Cyril Allen Jolly

Tree 13: 234 Private Donald William Johnson (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 14: 2659 Private John Norman Hartley (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 15: N. Gates (possibly 125 Private Norman WIlliam Gates)

Tree 16: 1060 Private Robert Gordon Duncan

Tree 17: 6767 Bombardier Phillip Frederick Dix (also Soldiers Book)

Tree 18: 3479 Gunner Raymond Cary (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 19: 6420 Private Frank Dawson Pridham (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 20: 411 Gunner Alfred Williams (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 21: 2781 Lance Corporal Stanley Victor Ray (also Soldiers Book)

Tree 22: 2742 Private William George Pollock (aka William Grieve Pollock, later a Lieutenant)

Tree 23: William Pinney

Tree 24: 4497 Acting Corporal James Nicol (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 25: 3208 Lance Corporal Kenneth Fraser

Tree 26: 1554 Private John Francis McCormack (also Soldiers Book)

Tree 27: 3651 Driver Archibald Angus McAskil (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 28: 2864 Private Thomas Oscar Meredith (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 29: 1047 Private Frederick Charles Kiellerup

Tree 30: 883 Private Frederick Walter Janes (also Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 31: 234 Signaller Lance Corporal Thomas Atherton Johnston (also Soldiers Book)

Tree 32: 1910 Private John Vincent Standen

Tree 33: William Geddes (died before embarking)

Tree 34: 2180 Sergeant Charles James Durham (also Soldiers Book & Avenue of Trees, Lake Reserve)

Tree 35: 5364 Private John William Doig (also Soldiers Book)

Some of these old boys are not mentioned on any other Coburg Memorial, making this a very important local place of remembrance.

If you can help with information on any of these men and their families, I would be very interesting in hearing from you.