News & Publicity
Upcoming Events
Hepburn Shire Council Tree Works: Council is set to undertake further works in the Avenue in the coming weeks/months, with two trees scheduled for removal later this season (West 16 – G J Brinsden & East 107 R Forrester). Families (where known) will be contacted closer to the date to discuss planting events.
Council is also planning remedial pruning works of the Avenue trees, and pruning of cypresses along the eastern side of the Avenue.
Tuesday 11 November: Remembrance Day 10.45am Assemble at the Cenotaph corner of Kingston and Victoria Roads.
Wednesday 10 December: Volunteers thank you barbecue (Kingston Agricultural Society, Friends of the Avenue and Fire Brigade) 5pm at the Kingston Show Grounds.
Creswick Market Dates Saturday:
October 18th
November 15th
December 20th
Prior News Updates
Wednesday 24 September 2025: Annual General Meeting 6.30 for 7pm start. The Commercial @ Kingston 41 Kingston Road Kingston. By popular demand our guest speaker was again Matthew Daniel of the Hepburn Shire Council Aboriculture Team. Matthew’s expertise and passion is soil health. Hepburn Shire Council was successful in acquiring a Victorian Sustainability Grant to remediate soil health in specific locations throughout the Shire. As part of this grant, the nine newly planted trees were selected for a scientific trial, along with ten mature Avenue trees in decline. The mature trees have indication tape, with four as control trees and six as application trees. Council is using FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) material along with mulch to increase the soil’s biological activity to aid tree establishment and mature tree longevity. Matthew Daniel reported on the trials being conducted in the Avenue, which are showing excellent results. The full results will be available following testing in November 2025.
Clarence Norman Tree Planting
Kingston Friends of the Avenue members joined the family of Clarence Albert Norman on Saturday 10 August 2025 for a commemorative tree planting.
The event was attended by approximately 25 people including Matthew Daniel, Hepburn Shire Team Leader Arboriculture and Open Spaces, who had prepared the site and tree. FOTA President Julie Baulch gave a history regarding the tree and welcomed the grandchildren and other relatives of Clarence Norman. Barry Norman shared some wonderful memories of his grandfather. It was a special commemorative event, as the original tree was planted exactly 106 years earlier, and Clarence Norman’s birthday was 9th August.
Matthew Daniel gave an informative talk regarding the type of tree, the method of planting, and plans to safeguard the tree. Members of the family then assisted Matthew in planting the tree.
A war portrait of Clarence Norman was on display, and Clarence Norman’s great grandchildren watered the tree and placed a bunch of native flowers.
The family and FOTA members attended the Showgrounds for an afternoon tea that was enjoyed by all. Thanks to Claire, Wendy, Penny and Leah for their contributions.
This was the first time in 50 years that so many members of the Norman family had been reunited.
2023 Tree Management Plan and 2002 Management Plan – all documents now available
Please visit the link at Tree Management Plan – Kingston Avenue of Honour for the primary document presented during our 2023 AGM, as assessed and presented by Megan Brittingham from Homewood Consulting.
Homewood Consulting have also produced a detailed survey of each of the trees. Please click the below links to download a more detailed assessment, or you can read the documents on this page.
The original 2002 Management Plan prepared by Shane Jeffrey is now available, and can be viewed/downloaded at the following link:
TREE WORKS TO BEGIN IN AVENUE TUESDAY 30/1/2024
Kingston, Friends of the Avenue Inc. and Hepburn Shire Council wish to inform that the essential tree works identified in the Tree Management Plan will begin on Tuesday 30 January.
Work will be supervised by Council arborists in accordance with Heritage Victoria Permits, and with the support of a Victorian State Government grant. Remedial pruning will occur, along with removal of six trees which the Tree Management Plan identified as being near the end of their life expectancy.
The removed trees will be replaced in winter.
If you are a relative of any of the following people or have another connection, please contact us at kingstonfoa@gmail.com, as we would like to hear from you regarding the person represented, and we would aim to have you present when the replacement tree is planted.
William Ogilvy McPherson tree East 50
Clarence Albert Norman tree East 51 (known family)
Lennon Edwin Coulson tree East 52
Charles Joseph Finlayson tree East 53
Frederick Francis Crisp tree East 54
Edward Edgar Owens tree East 55
GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Kingston Friends of the Avenue, (KFOA) have received $46,509 in grant funding from the Victorian State Government and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Minister Natalie Suleyman recently informed the KFOA of their successful grant application.
This grant “Restoring Community War Memorials and Avenues of Honour” will enable urgent works to begin on some of the trees identified by the recently adopted Homewood Consultancy Group Tree Management Plan.
Grant money will also be used to replace 27 plaques and 15 plaque mounts. In addition, soil testing will be funded on trees that are in decline.
Works on the identified trees will be overseen by the Hepburn Shire Council who assisted the KFOA in preparing this grant application.
KINGSTON AVENUE OF HONOUR RESOURCE CENTRE OPENS
On Saturday 5th November at the Commercial @ Kingston Hotel, Dr Robert Webster OAM the Victorian RSL State President opened the ‘Kingston Remembers’ Resource Centre. Fifty invited guests listened to several speakers including Montana McMillan and Campbell Spittle, both in their twenties, whose ancestors are commemorated in the Avenue. Guests also viewed a short film called ‘Kingston Remembers’ produced by Terry Hope.
Kingston, Friends of the Avenue Inc. were successful under the State Government and Victorian Veteran’s Council ‘Victoria Remembers Minor Grant Program’ which funds projects that honour and commemorate veterans’ service and educate Victorians about veterans’ contributions.
COVID delayed the installation and opening of the Resource Centre by two years. Dr Robert Webster OAM congratulated the Victorian State Government and the Victorian Veterans Council for their support for the project. He went on to say , ‘the Resource Centre honours the WW1 service of men and women commemorated in the former Shire of Creswick Avenue of Honour.’
The Resource Centre will preserve and share the stories and history of the Avenue. It consists of film, interviews, resource books and memorabilia. Photographs and certificates are displayed in a diorama, beautifully crafted, and installed on the wall of the Commercial @ Kingston. Multimedia equipment will be used to show the recorded interviews, short films about the Avenue and Peter Rickard’s ‘Sentinels of Service – Volunteers of the Kingston Avenue of Honour’ in eBook format. It is a place where visitors can stop, reflect and learn more about the people commemorated in the Avenue, after driving along Kingston Road, through the magnificent 286 heritage-listed trees that are over 100 years old.
Many local people assisted in the creation of this Resource Centre and memorabilia was kindly loaned or given to the Kingston Friends of the Avenue for display. The Friends are indebted to Trace Williams for her creativity and for project managing the team that made the diorama and to Sue Gunn for providing the space to display it and other pieces.
Julie Baulch, President of the Kingston Friends of the Avenue, thanked all those who contributed to this project by sharing their skills and resources. The committee of the Friends of the Avenue awarded Julie an honorary life membership for her persistence, vision, and dedication to the Kingston Avenue of Honour. This certificate was presented by Dr Robert Webster OBE.
The Resource Centre can be visited during the opening hours of the Commercial @ Kingston from 12noon Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For information, please call 5345 6576 or 0408 007 464 or visit https://kingstonavenueofhonour.org.au or Facebook.
The 2022 AGM AND TREE MANAGEMENT PLAN
We invited the community to attend our AGM, which was held at 6pm on Wednesday 17 August 2022 at the Commercial @ Kingston. The meeting included installation of new office bearers.
At 7pm Megan Brittingham, Senior Consulting Arborist, from Homewood Consulting and Ben Kenyon, Director, completed the community consultation aspect of the Tree Management Plan (TMP) for the Avenue. This involved a 15-minute presentation by Megan followed by a Q & A session. The presentation was very interesting, and attendees learned a lot about the condition of the trees in the Avenues, and our best methods of maintaining tree health.
Please visit the link at Tree Management Plan – Kingston Avenue of Honour for the primary document that Megan discussed.
