Around 1950 the then President of the 2/29th Battalion A.I.F. Association Inc Capt H.A. Wimpole arranged for a tree to be planted and a Commemorative plaque be placed at the base of the tree to honour the 2/29th Bn.

The present Eucalyptus tree was planted in 1988. Unfortunately Shrine of Remembrance records do not go back to 1950 to confirm an exact date of the original tree planting.

This photo shows Marion Stiles daughter-in-law of Sgt Leo Stiles, the 2/29th Commemorative Plaque and the Memorial Tree in the Shrine of Remembrance grounds. It is situated on the western side of the grounds approximately 20 metres from St Kilda Road and opposite the No 19 Tram stop.

There are approximately 420 dedicated trees within the Shrine reserve. A map of the area with tree locations is available from Shrine office staff.

News Flash

The Shrine management in conjunction with the Melbourne City Council has conducted a survey on the health of all the trees within the Shrine reserve by their Arborists. This was deemed necessary because of the effects of the prolonged dry period has had on the health of the trees. There are 100 trees to be replaced. Unfortunately the 2/29th tree is one of the 100. The commemorative plaque has been removed and put into a secure storage area. Once the replacement tree has been planted the plaque will be replaced.

A new tree, botanical name: Querkus Accutissma, common name: Sawtooth Oak has now been planted and the commemorative plaque has been replaced. Unfortunately the Sawtooth Oak has not been replanted in the same spot as the original tree but is further south of the original position. We recommend contact with the Shrine staff to ascertain the exact location of the tree.

This photo shows Colin Stiles son of Sgt Leo V Stiles VX40201- A Coy by the new tree taken on 15 January 2012.