News & Publicity

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 Sulaymaniyah 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.

The Kingston Avenue of Honour in late autumn, with yellow autumn leaves on the ground, turning to brown

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.

Photo of several people standing in front of the Kingston State School Roll of Honor and the Kingston Remembers Resource Centre Diorama.
Dr Robert Webster OAM Victorian State RSL President, Sue McPhan (nee Norman), Julie Baulch Kingston Avenue of Honour President, Peter Norman and Alan Morris President of the Creswick Smeaton RSL Sub-Branch. The Norman family shared their father’s Certificate of Appreciation for his service and photographs, which are featured in the Diorama.
Four people stand in front of the diorama, with one person pointing at a photograph they are discussing.
Robt Haughie (who designed the diorama) and members of the Spittle family discussing the diorama. Graeme Spittle shared his father Gordon’s album of photographs for us to use in the diorama.  Gordon regularly sent photos and letters back, and was known locally as the War Correspondent.
Dr Robert Webster wearing his military medals and a poppy, holding a microphone as he opens the resource centre
Dr Robert Webster OAM launching the Kingston Remembers Resource Centre.
Montana McMillan and Campbell Spittle smiling for the camera
Montanah McMillan and Campbell Spittle, who spoke about their relatives are in the Avenue.

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.

A photo of the Avenue in autumn showing elm trees with golden leaves