It's one of Canberra's, if not the nation's, most iconic trees - the imposing 30-metre-tall lone pine, planted by the Duke of Gloucester in 1934 in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial.
A weathered plaque at the base of the hallowed Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) succinctly states the tree's extraordinary origins. "After the capture of the Lone Pine ridge in Gallipoli (6th August 1915), an Australian soldier [Lance Corporal Benjamin Smith] who had taken part in the attack in which his brother [Mark] was killed, found a cone on one of the branches used by the Turks as overhead cover for their trenches and sent it to his mother [in Inverell]. From seed shed by it she raised this tree which she presented to be planted in the War Memorial grounds in honour of her own and others' sons who fell at Lone Pine".
When, in 2008, the towering tall tree was split in two by lightning, tree surgeons rushed to the scene to save it, which thankfully they did. Damaged branches were subsequently salvaged and carved into keepsakes and commemorative wood items.
As part of an insurance policy for the memorial's Lone Pine, since 1950, the Yarralumla Nursery has been growing seedlings from cones collected from the 1934 tree. For $75, members of the public can buy a 140mm seedling and have it shipped to anywhere in Australia. Further, to ensure a Lone Pine would continue to grow at the memorial no matter what happened to the original, a young tree, complete with protective shade cloth, was planted six years ago by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
While the provenance of the Aleppo pines at the Australia War Memorial and other ceremonial plantings across the country can be traced back to the original seedlings, it is a little known fact that there are hundreds of thousands (maybe more) of other Aleppo pines in Australia with no connection whatsoever to Lone Pine ridge.
In fact, most of the Aleppo pines growing in Australia today are from imported seedlings planted as part of commercial forestry enterprises that began in the late 1800s, long before World War I. It was also widely recommended and planted as a shade and shelterbelt tree in agricultural areas. Unfortunately, the species has proven to be highly invasive in native vegetation where it can form dense thickets which displace other plants. As a result, the Aleppo pine is now considered a weed in some states.
For example, in South Australia, where it is a declared weed, the government has published a notice outlining further negative impacts of the introduced pine. "The oil from fallen needles and shade from the canopy suppress the growth of native plants underneath the Aleppo pine and dense infestations are a fire hazard, with flammable cones and dead lower branches often retained on trees for many years," it warns.
Here in the ACT the Aleppo pine isn't listed as a weed (yet). A spokesperson for the ACT government reports, "The only pine currently classified as a weed in the ACT is Radiata pine (Pinus radiata)".
As a poignant reminder of the Anzac spirit and a son's love for his mother, the Aleppo pine ought to continue to be available in Australia for ceremonial plantings, but given these increasing environmental concerns perhaps it is time restrictions were introduced on it being planted more liberally on private properties.
In a final twist in the saga of Lone Pines, Aleppo pine doesn't grow naturally on the Gallipoli Peninsula. For this reason it is believed the actual tree after which the Lone Pine ridge (and battle) is so-named was more than likely a Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia). Further, it is widely accepted that the cone collected by Lance Corporal Benjamin Smith from trench fortifications at Lone Pine ridge on August 15, 1915 must have been shipped in by the Turks from elsewhere in the Mediterranean.
Did You Know: The 1st Brigade AIF (Australian Imperial Force) launched a diversionary offensive at Lone Pine ridge on August 6, 1915. The main Turkish trench was taken in less than half an hour but over the subsequent four days more than 2000 Australians and 7000 Turks were killed. The solitary ''Lone'' Pine was destroyed in the shelling but the site remained known as Lone Pine.
Lest we forget.
AS WINTER APPROACHES
Many readers rallied behind your shivering akubra-clad columnist who, much to the chagrin of some traditionalists, during the recent run of cold nights, broke with the unwritten Canberra ''rule'' and lit the fire before Anzac Day.
"Anzac Day, as far as heating goes, is just a date on the calendar," reports Dave and Jenny Hobson of Spence, adding "we started our fire last weekend for a couple of days".
Meanwhile, Janis Norman, also of Spence, reports she "has never believed in the Anzac Day rule for turning on the heater," adding "in fact, I'm enjoying feeling the warmth on my legs from the ducted heating while writing this to you".
Like many Canberrans, by day Janis has been keeping fit (and warm) by walking in our parks and reserves. "Last week we walked up to One Tree Hill, one of our favourite walks", reports Janis. "Despite urban development encroaching the base of the hill, over three quarters of the walk from Hall is still in lovely peaceful bushland."
The Yowie clan also stepped out on this track a couple of times last week and despite being much busier than usual, we were buoyed by everyone adhering to physical distancing rules. The same can't be said of the Mt Ainslie and Mt Taylor summit walks where over recent weeks, during peak times, many have been flouting these rules. My advice, find a track less travelled.
CONTACT TIM:Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick.
LAKE GEORGE ANTICS
This column's recent exposé on the 1961 marathon swim across Lake George (The Day I Swam Across Lake George, April 4) rekindled memories for Denise Palmer of Weetangera who attended the historic swim as a spectator, and even dug up a photo of the event.
"It was very windy and very cold," she recalls. ''The swimmers coated themselves in various substances to keep warm".
"Our family used to travel to the lake from Dalton for picnics when we had visitors from Sydney," reveals Denise. "We used to sit on the shoreline just below the lookout at Gearys Gap and watch the water lapping the rocks."
While Gordon Fyfe of Kambah hasn't taken a dip in the lake, he does remember the day back in 1973 when he went for a walk on the lake bed with friends.
"We all got covered in sticky black mud which didn't want to come off,'' says Gordon. "We didn't turn around until we were knee-deep, then someone had an idea about a mud fight." I guess kids will be kids.
Meanwhile, Belinda Redfern-Elliot was buoyed by photographs of a full Lake George. "I don't think my children ever believed me when I told them the water used to come up the road [when the lake was full]," she muses. Cris Piper even recalls the levels even higher, when "during a flood in the 1970s, the water on the old highway was above the sills on my ute". Heck.
Finally, Margie Naylor reports her father used to take her fishing at Lake George for redfin. "We would float our gear out on an inflatable bed and spend hours there catching fish," she recalls. "Of course, that was in 1965, well before it dried up." Sounds idyllic.
WHERE IN CANBERRA?
Cryptic Clue: Moore masks
Degree of difficulty: Medium
[inset: Pinnacle tank art.jpg = Where in Canberra LAST week (Photo: Rob Breen) MUST CREDIT]
Last week: Congratulations to Katy Skinner of Weetangera who was first to correctly identify the location of last week's photo as the water reservoir at the Pinnacle Nature Reserve (hence the clue, ''straight to the top''), near Weetangera. "The bush around the reservoir is a favourite rehearsal auditorium for a lone bagpipe player," reveals Katy who often hears the mystery musician playing on her walks in the Pinnacle Nature Reserve. It seems Katy also knows her water tanks, reporting "this reservoir serves lower Weetangera and lower Hawker, while higher areas of those suburbs are fed from the higher-placed system on Mt Painter."
Katy beat a rush of other readers including 10-year-old Mahalia McInnes of Scullin and Chris Fitzgerald of Downer, the latter of whom actually helped paint the tank 15 years ago, as part of a Young Achievers program. "We initially had an idea for table menu holders that didn't work very well, then we got a contract from ACTEW to paint the tank and ended up winning the Young Achievers of the Year Award," exclaims Chris.
One reader impressed with the paint job WAs Rob Breen of Macquarie who submitted the photo as the ''tank art'' reminded him of the ''silo art'' famous throughout rural NSW and Victoria. "The stains and salt encrustations provide an impression of a valley with a river with patches of white water and/or the roofs of houses," reports Rob. While I think Rob may have an over-active imagination, I do love the reflection of the tree on the tank.
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and suburb to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday April 18, 2020, wins bragging rights. Tickets to Dendy Cinemas will once again be given as a prize when the cinemas reopen.
SPOTTED
Earlier this week, Bernard Kosowski was stopped in his tracks by this pile of road markers, damaged from the January fires just across the border in the Victorian high country, at Tintaldra near Corryong. While some locals are calling for the markers to form the basis of an art installation, I'm worried about anyone who drives towards all these reflectors, many of which are unbroken, in the dead of the night. Talk about being startled!
