Time Warp Tuesday - 3 December 2024

Published on Tuesday, 3 December 2024 at 12:00:00 AM

Welcome to #TimeWarpTuesday! Captured in glorious bloom, the Jacaranda trees down Memorial Avenue, Carlisle stand in joyous testament to sacrifice and the price of freedom. There are 20 Jacaranda trees that line the street, with two more on the end of the street on Raleigh Street, they mark as sentinels the memory of the fallen.

This honour avenue of trees was first conceived as one of the ways that the then Carlisle Sub-branch of the Returned Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia chose to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 1957. As early as July 1957 the Sub-Branch was in discussions with the City of Perth in regards to the provision of trees, and had spoken to the families of soldiers, sons of Carlisle, that had fallen in both World Wars. They were given great support for the project from both the families of the fallen and the local community. The planting of the Jacaranda trees was undertaken in August 1957 by children from the Carlisle State School in the street then known as Venus Street. The trees were officially dedicated as an honour avenue to Carlisle's fallen sons on Sunday 9 November 1958. The Carlisle Sub-branch also advocated with the City of Perth to have the name of the street changed to 'Memorial Avenue' to better reflect it's new arboreal status. Discussion between the Department of Lands and Surveys and the City of Perth ensued and by 31 July 1959 the official announcement of the street's new name had been officially published in the Government Gazette of Western Australia.

Do you have any photos or stories to share? The 2025 Local History Awards are opening soon, and you could win a prize for your entry. But you would also be helping to uncover our history and share it with generations to come. For more information on the Awards please visit: vicpark.info/LocalHistoryAwards

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