Local farmer and Gallipoli veteran, Archie Henville (dark suit), completes the planting of a Lone Pine in the grounds of the Binnu Primary School in 1968.
Mr Henville was instrumental in getting some seeds through the Australian War Memorial, from a specimen in Canberra – an offspring of a ‘Lone Pine’ (Pinus halepensis), named after that particular battle on the Gallipoli peninsula.
Image courtesy of the Binnu Primary School, displayed in the front office.
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Over the years, the tree remains socially pivotal for the local community and the Binnu Primary School is justly proud to include its history as part of the school’s curriculum.
It is usual for the school, to host a ceremonial service, for a group of the small schools in the Midwest region, as part of a combined ANZAC Day commemoration.
However, in April 2021, Tropical Cyclone Seroja played havoc in the region. The Binnu Lone Pine was uprooted and its survival seriously threatened.
Read here for ABC NEWS article:
Binnu school’s precious Lone Pine tree faces a battle for survival.
State Emergency Services, the Australian Defence Force, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and New South Wales Rural Fire Service personnel were involved in the concerted effort, to save the tree.
Using an ingenious method of soaking hessian bags placed over the exposed roots of the tree, provided vital time top consider the next steps in a committed ‘rescue mission’.
Miraculously, the 53 year old tree was able to be pulled upright, and secured by cables to sturdy posts installed for that purpose.
Read Phoebe Pin’s Geraldton Guardian report 24 May 2021, for more detail.
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In 2024 the Binnu Lone Pine remains testament to the local community’s resilience, loyalty and its strong connection to Remembrance, on behalf of the Midwest Region of WA.
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Read also how this tree lives on at the Leonard T Green Memorial Park, Geraldton.
