The 100 Lone Pines Project is an initiative of Dr John Basarin OAM – Chairman of the Friends of Gallipoli Organisation. The objective of this project is to commemorate the ANZAC spirit and to celebrate the Centenary of the Republic of Turkey in 2023 whose first President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the commander facing Anzacs at Gallipoli. After the battle on the ridges of Plateau 400, Gallipoli 1915, only one Turkish Pine tree remained. An Anzac Sargent Keith McDowell collected cones from this tree and returned to Australia with them. Seedlings were raised from these cones and grown to full trees, and a now a second generation of seedlings is being grown and planted. These are descended from the Warrnambool Lone Pine and the Inverleigh RSL Memorial Lone Pine.
The goal is to plant 100 Lone Pine Tree in Victoria. Our project will provide participating schools and RSLs opportunity to share updates of the growth and progress of their lone pine seedlings. It will also include sharing by the students of the stories of the local Diggers who paid the ultimate sacrifice at Gallipoli. We look forward to sharing our stories and photos, and the growth of the young Turkish Pines.
John Basarin OAM speaks about the project
At the presentation of the Lone Pine Tree to Woolsthorpe Primary School
John Basarin speaks about the Lone Pine Project legacy
At the tree planting ceremony at St Patricks Primary School Koroit
The Lone Pine at Gallipoli photo from https://cove.army.gov.au/article/lone-pine-105th-anniversary-special
The Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli today photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lone_Pine
Dr. Lex Thomson grew seedlings from seed collected from the Lone Pine at the Warrnambool Botanical Gardens. Sergeant Keith Mc Dowell of the 24th Battalion at Gallipoli had carried a pinecone in his haversack until the end of the war. Upon returning home to Australia he gave it to his aunt, Emma Gray. Mrs Gray planted seeds from it a decade or so later, and grew four seedlings. The trees were planted at Wattle Park (May 1933), the Shrine of Remembrance (June 1933), and The Sisters Memorial Hall (June 1933), and Warrnambool Botanic Gardens 21st January 1934.
Dr Thomson started growing the seedlings in 2018. His intention was to plant them in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic intervened. By the time they were eventually planted, they were much larger than originally intended, and the logistical challenge of getting them to appropriate locations was much bigger.
The Lone Pine at Canberra War Memorial grounds
The Lone Pine at Warrnambool Botanic Gardens
Read more about this tree here
The 100 Lone Pines Certificate received by the schools involved.
A guide to propogating the Lone Pine.
