Two Californian redwoods stand rigidly to attention along the old main road at Eganstown north-west of Melbourne.
If it were not for an old sign at each end of the lonely lane, few motorists passing between Ballarat and Daylesford would realise the significance of the botanical immigrants surrounded by native forest.
The two trees are the last survivors of the Eganstown Avenue of Honour, planted as part of a bigger copse more than a century ago to remember the Australian soldiers who fought in Gallipoli, North Africa, and Flanders.
More than 350 Avenues of Honour were planted across Victoria in the years during and following World War I.
Most remain as living monuments to those soldiers, sailors and nurses who served during WWI, but between 50 to 60 have been left to decay or disappear entirely.
Michael Taffe from Federation University is a researcher dedicated to the memorials established to mark WWI.
"Over time there has been a loss of … knowledge in communities, as people passed away or moved on," Dr Taffe said.
He said that loss of knowledge has led to tragic mistakes.
"Avenues were lost and forgotten earlier as people drifted away from small towns to the city," Dr Taffe said.
"For one reason or another, the records have disappeared, and there have been Avenues of Honour cut down by the new municipality in ignorance of their previous purpose.
"To be fair, many of those same councils are rejuvenating or replacing other avenues."
Dr Taffe said many of the trees planted in Avenues of Honour are approaching the end of their natural lives, which presents challenges.
In the south-west Victorian town of Mortlake, disease and storm damage left the cypresses in its avenue in such dire condition that the trees posed a threat to drivers and pedestrians.
The local council is one of a number around the state that has either started or is considering the process of tearing down its century-old avenue and starting again.
Avenues great and small
Ballarat's Avenue of Honour is one of Victoria's oldest and one of Australia's largest, featuring 3,801 trees stretching over 22 kilometres.
It was planted after Ballarat factory worker Tilly Thompson saw a commemorative avenue at Mt Lofty in South Australia and brought the idea to her home state.
Plantings began in 1917 and were a mixture of exotic trees including poplars, elms and oaks.
It has been lovingly cared for ever since by a committee of volunteers, including current avenue committee president Garry Snowden.
"Very few of the original trees remain, and some of these around Bo Peep will likely be replaced in coming months [as they] are quite the worse for wear," Mr Snowden said.
While the main avenue in Ballarat has been blessed with a steady stream of supporters and volunteers, others have not been so lucky.
There are at least four largely forgotten avenues in Ballarat alone, including Ballarat North (Beaufort Crescent), Monash (Macarthur Street), Soldiers Hill (Lydiard and Howitt Streets), and Redan (Hill Street).
Other smaller Avenues of Honour have fared better — the avenue at Kingston, north of Ballarat, has been beautifully restored and cared for by the community with support from Hepburn Shire Council.
It had fallen into disrepair before a call to arms in 1999.
"It was a nightmare before we started," Kingston Friends of the Avenue president Julie Bauch explained.
"I lived next door to the Kingston shop and there was a petition to save a memorial tree in Ballarat.
"It reminded us we had our own avenue that deserved saving."
There are 286 elm trees along Kingston's avenue, and all but nine are original trees, but that community's experience has become a template for other districts.
There are programs or plans to replant and rehabilitate other avenues, including Wycheproof, Barry's Reef (near Blackwood in central Victoria). Meanwhile, a small grove of pencil pines has joined the old redwoods at Eganstown.
Rehabilitating an old avenue is no small thing — replacement trees are expensive and require extra care and maintenance during their first two years, while Heritage Victoria has extensive and strict requirements that councils have to meet.
The challenges
Victoria's avenues of honour were mostly planted towards the end of World War I and into the early 1920s. That means many of the original trees are now more than 100 years old. Beaufort horticulturalist Rob Pelletier explains the challenges.
Cypress
Cypress trees are most under threat in Victoria by a condition called cypress canker. It is the result of predation by a combination of fungal species. Over the past 50 years the disease has spread in Victoria by mechanical means, weather and even birds and animals.
Elms
Dutch elms were most often planted in regional Victoria. Elms will live to 150 years or more in Australia, depending on soil, care and climate. There is relatively low maintenance apart from clearing lower and broken branches but suckers (unwanted growth rising from the root system) needs to be controlled to keep trees healthy.
Oaks
English oaks are the most common oaks in Victorian avenues. They can live to well over 150 years (some are reputed to live for 1,000 years in Britain). The main issue is their size — when they get too big they are problematic especially if they overhang roads.
Pines
These tend to be shorter lived. Pinus radiata is the most common variety and it starts to decline in vigour after 100 years. Australia's warmer climate causes them to go through their growth cycle more quickly. They reach senescence (old age for trees) earlier and start to become ragged.
Eucalypts
Sugar gums (Eucalyptus cladocalyx) were planted in avenues across drier regions of Victoria, including the Mallee. Termite resistant, hardy and capable of regrowth, sugar gum avenues have proven long-lived.
