In 1920 the Williamstown Council planted 252 Palm Trees in the municipality in honour of the 252 gallant fallen soldiers. They had also made a decision to rename the streets where the trees were planted after prominent Australian commanding officers - Birdwood, Elliott, Tivey, Brand and Monash. This renaming was not implemented.
I have found two articles connected to the planting of these Palm Trees.
Plantation of Palms in honor of Fallen Soldiers at Lyons Street Gardens.
The plantation of palms along Melbourne-road and Lyons-street, in memory of fallen soldiers, took place on Saturday last, the ceremony being performed by Crs. Liston, Dennis and Fowler, representatives of the Ward. The Mayor, who is an expert horticulturist, said the palm was a more suitable memorial than deciduous trees, because it was evergreen and everlasting. It was also emblematic of many other things. To the traveller in the arid desert, the palm was the signal for hope and sustenance, for it was always a sure sign of the presence of artesian water. He wished to congratulate the council’s staff on the faithful way the ground had been prepared, and on the magnificent palms that had been secured. He predicted for them a rapid and prolific growth.
The Mayor, referring to the matter again at the council meeting on Tuesday evening, said 52 palms had been planted. They were all looking well. Sixteen others were to go to Spotswood when a suitable place had been chosen.
Cr. Fowler wanted to know if the names would be placed on the trees. The Mayor said that matter was in hand, but it was impossible to do any thing till the palms had become thoroughly established in the soil.
(Williamstown Advertiser, May 8, 1920, see here.)
With another 15 palms planted at Spotswood, the memories of 252 gallant fallen soldiers will become treasured in trees throughout the municipality. Citizens have considered that this is the best public method to keep evergreen the personalities of those gallant local heroes, who during the late war made the "supreme sacrifice." The council is thus causing the Braer (1) type of tree in specified numbers to be planted in each ward in succession. The first 76 in the North Ward were set in what is now known as Birdwood-avenue. The Newport quota of 42 will have room to flourish in the Mason street reserve, and Elliott-avenue will eventually be the collective name of this line of trees. Spotswood's line will become known as Tivey-avenue. Centre Ward's contribution total 52 - 29 in Melbourne-road and 23 in Lyons-street-will be known as Brand-avenue, each length of trees being called after a prominent Australian commanding officer.
Last Saturday, despite the unpropitiousness of the weather, many residents gathered around the Mayor (Cr. Henderson) in Victoria-street to assist in the planting of 64 trees in what will become in time Monash-avenue. Some bereaved parents had come from long distances, including the mother of the late lamented Mr. T. Fraser, who had travelled from Woodend. With the ward members the relatives planted 37 out of the 64. The balance of the 64 trees will probably be planted to-day. The Mayor is waiting for the receipt of the news of three of our deceased soldiers,who enlisted at Williamstown, yet whose homes and relatives were English domiciled.
(Williamstown Chronicle, June 12, 1920, see here)
How many of these memorial Palms remain? None that I can see on Google street images, which seems a bit sad as they were specifically planted to remember the local men who did not return. So far, the only reports that I can find regarding the removal of these trees concern the ones in Victoria Street. From 1947 there were plans to remove the Palm Trees from Victoria Street and in May 1948 the Council passed the motion That the Curator be instructed to proceed with plans for the removal of palms in Victoria St., and that new trees be planted before the spring. (2)
Footnotes
(1) Braer, actually Brahea, a genus of Palms.
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