Planted: Legacy’s John Burton and Terry Cullen with RSL Geelong’s Rodney Meeke and the region’s new Lone Pine.
ERIN PEARSON
A RARE Lone Pine sapling is commemorating Australia’s 2200 Gallipoli war dead at Geelong RSL.
President Rodney Meeke said the RSL was “thrilled” to plant a descendent of the original Gallipoli Lone Pine, a cone of which returned with Australian soldiers in 1915.
“It’s sensational because it represents a very important part of Gallipoli history and World War I history,” Mr Meeke said.
“We’ve made sure we’ve put it as part of our latest redevelopment. It’s a wonderful showpiece and we’re very proud to have it.”
Mr Meeke said Legacy and Geelong RSL worked on obtaining the sapling for 18 months.
The sapling had pride of place at the RSL’s entrance, he said.
Four surviving seedlings of the original Lone Pine were planted around the state before Melbourne’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources took over responsibility for subsequent seedlings.
The region has two other Lone Pines at Torquay and North Geelong. Both faced threats amid golf club redevelopments but were retained amid community concern.
Legacy Geelong’s John Burton welcomed the latest addition as “very significant”.
