Pinnacle Swamp Avenue of Remembrance (Rylstone district, NSW) was established to commemorate WW1. This site is located at the far-western end of Pinnacle Swamp Road, Rylstone, where the road stops at the farm entrance, locally known as ‘Currie’s Gate’.
FURTHER DETAILS
The following is a testimonial from local resident, Shirley Tunnicliff, who is also a member of the Rylstone & District Historical Society:
I am probably the last person in Rylstone from Pinnacle Swamp to know how the Avenue of trees were planted. I grew up in Pinnacle swamp and every year my Grandmother would take or send my Aunt and me to hang a wreath on a post in the Avenue.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s there were around 16-18 families living in Pinnacle Swamp and nearby Tong Bong area. Some of the sons went to the Boer War, but more signed up for the First World War. As a result the families got together and planted an Avenue of Remembrance. Some of the names were Bayliss, Bisley, Brown, Currie, McQuiggin and Mulholland. I only know these as my Grandmother used to tell me stories when I was very small about the people in Pinnacle Swamp. I have already mentioned that we put a wreath every Anzac Day down at the Avenue; this continued until my Grandmother died in 1959. I kept up the wreaths for quite some years after her death, but slackened off as I got older! About 5 years ago I decided that something needed to be done to keep this Avenue alive. I am 85 and there is no one left in Pinnacle Swamp who knows about the Avenue. I approached the Mid Western Regional Council to bring the Avenue up to date and put a plaque in the area to commemorate the men who went to war. It took about two years to convince them that this was a necessary project. I was advised that they would spend $2,500 on trees and a plaque.
We have had a drought this last eighteen months and not all the trees have survived but the plaque is there. The Avenue is at the end of the Pinnacle Swamp Road – the best time to see it is in spring when the new leaves are on the plane trees, as they meet across the road and form an arch as you drive along. (13th April 2018)
