Cudgen First World War Memorial Avenue

About

The memorial is a row of Norfolk Island pines, which are planted along Collier Street in Cudgen, NSW. Each tree is accompanied by a metal plaque, mounted on a metal stand. The plaques are inscribed with the names of soldiers who died in the First World War and are decorated with images of red flowers.  At the Shire meeting held in June 1918, the Cudgen Recruiting Association reported it was developing a scheme for tree planting in memory of the soldiers who had enlisted in the war. The Council granted permission for the trees, pending approval from their engineer. However, they did not agree to assist with finance or maintenance (Tweed Daily, 21 June 1918).  On 28 September 1918, 13 trees were planted and protected with tree guards. The event was reported in the Tweed Daily on 2 October and listed the name of each soldier, as well as the name of the person who planted the tree in their honour.  The following year, the Daily (25 February 1919) stated new tree guards were being installed at the avenue and an additional tree would soon be planted, following the recent death of Private W. Curtiss from illness. The paper printed the following names:  The fallen heroes to whose memory this fine tribute is paid are: Ptes. P. and M. Price, F. W. Mann, T. Cowan, C. Hansen, T. Lillie, Harper, Ellis, Turnbull, Lewis, McCarthy, and R. Clark and J. McGinnes ... Pte. W. Curtiss.  Commemorative services are held at the Cudgen War Memorial, which is also located on Collier Street. The trees provide a backdrop to this setting.

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