Aleppo Pine Seedling

On August 6 1915, the first Australian Infantry Division launched a major offensive at Pleateau 400 at Gallipoli, Turkey. In three days of fighting the ANZACS lost around 2,000 men.  The ridges were once covered with the Aleppo Pine. They had, however, been cut down to cover and line the trenches, leaving only one solitary pine. Thus it became known as Lone Pine Ridge. One of the ANZAC soldiers sent several cones from the tree back to Australia and one of the seedlings was planted at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

The Aleppo Pine seedling at the Essendon campus has been propagated from the War Memorial tree. The Junior School boys learned of the tree’s history at our recent ANZAC ceremony.  Both Matthew Stockman and Matthew Schaffner (pictured) read a prayer and a dedication at the assembly.