Berridale Memorial Park
Berridale, New South Wales, Australia
Page 2

A plaque adjacent to a pine tree which is significant for its connection with the Battle of Lone Pine during the Gallipoli campaign. Lone Pine was the name given to the ridge where the Turkish defenders had stripped bare, excepting one tree, a stand of pines and used the timber to fortify their trenches. An assault by Australian troops commenced on the afternoon of August 6, 1915 and the ensuing Battle of Lone Pine between August 6 and 9 saw the Australians capture and hold the Turkish trenches in fierce combat that resulted in some 2000 Australian dead or wounded and near 7000 Turkish casualties.

The lone pine was effectively destroyed during the barrage and battle but seed cones from it were collected by at least 2 Australian soldiers and returned to Australia where a some years later the seeds were germinated to produce a small number of saplings.  One of these grows in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and from this tree seedlings and grafted trees are also available to community groups for planting in conjunction with memorials in recognition of the ANZAC sacrifice at Gallipoli and subsequent campaigns.



Close-up of the Lone Pine plaque, the inscription reads: This pine tree is a direct descendant of the LONE PINE OF GALLIPOLI cultivated by the CSIRO planted here 15 MAY 1983 by SIR WILLIAM KEYS, O.B.E., M.C., National President of RSL of Australia.
(Note: CSIRO - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation RSL - Returned Services League)
(Photos and text courtesy of Peter F. Williams)
© 2010 Peter F. Williams all rights reserved





Page 2
Page published Aug. 12, 2010