Greater Dandenong Council may replace a removed Lone Pine tree tracing back to the Gallipoli military campaign of 1915 but it’s short in supply.
Nobel Park RSL’s committee is yet to discuss and decide on the proposed solutions to the loss of the tree on council land near the suburb’s war memorial but they are satisfied a replacement is being promised by the council.
Greater Dandenong removed the tree back in June after it was assessed as dead.
A council staff email to the Noble Park RSL provides two solutions, one being to secure and plant the Lone Pine replacement with local provenance from Gallipoli or to secure a Lone Pine with unknown provenance.
The latter species is “readily available.”
Council’s acting chief executive officer Sanjay Manivasagasivam says the replacement will be sourced from a reputable supplier either in Victoria or interstate.
“To support this process we have provided several options to the RSL for consideration, including Turkish Pine (Pinus brutia) and Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis).
The council has since apologised for its lack of communication regarding the removal of the significant Lone Pine within the RSL Memorial located on council-owned land.
“While the specific cause of the tree’s decline could not be conclusively identified, I would like to reassure the Committee that the decline and removal was not the result of Council’s neglect,” the council staff email read.
“I have been advised a card was hand delivered to the RSL and a Council Arborist walked in and spoke to a staff member within the RSL.
“Notwithstanding, given the significance of the tree, I acknowledge further information, and communications should have occurred with the RSL and the Committee.
“Unfortunately clones of the Lone Pine, which are descendants from the Gallipoli tree, are not readily available.”
The tree was first planted at the Noble Park Memorial Garden in 1995, and has provided a significant backdrop to the ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day commemorations.
Yarralumla Government Nursery based in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), propagates a number of Lone Pine trees from seed collected seasonally from the tree at the Australian War Memorial.
It is currently sold out of the species, as mentioned on their website and is expected to be on sale in mid-2026.
An ACT Government spokesperson say cockatoos are the reason behind the shortage of Lone Pine crops.
“Seedlings are in short supply because Yarralumla Nursery only source seed from the Australian War Memorial to ensure each tree sold by the nursery is a direct descendant of the original Lone Pine tree.
“Unfortunately, the cones of the Lone Pine tree are often damaged by Cockatoos which impacts the quantity of seed that can be harvested and propagated each year.
“Yarralumla Nursery now have caged individual cones to protect and build up the nursery’s seed collection for propagation.”
The Lone Pine is a single Turkish Pine (Pinus brutia) that stood on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, native to the region.
The sole tree was used as a target practice and said to be obliterated during the battle.
Another species, Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis) not native to Gallipoli was used by Turkish soldiers as overhead cover for their trenches.
Cones from both the Aleppo pine cover and Turkish lone pine were brought back by Australian soldiers to honour their loved ones who died in the battle.
Most of the ANZAC Lone Pines in Australia are Aleppo pine, not native to Gallipoli or descendant of Turkish pines. They are found at various memorial sites however, and hold equal significance as a symbol of remembrance.
