David Lawry OAM founded the “Avenues of Honour 1915-2015” project in 2004.
He is also responsible for co-founding TREENET (Tree and Roadway Experimental and Educational Network) in 1997 with Dr Jennifer Gardner, former curator of the Waite Arboretum and was its Director until December 2012. David remains dedicated to Australia’s living war memorials, helping to foster and support special initiatives to raise the profile of the Avenues of Honour project and its aims. This is especially important during the Centenary period of WW1 from ANZAC, the Western Front and coinciding with Armistice Day in November 2018.
With a Degree in Agricultural Science and a long horticultural history in the nursery and landscaping industry, David is a respected champion for the emerging science aimed at improving the establishment and retention of trees in urban settings, particularly street trees.
In 2008 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia:
“For service to arboriculture and the environment, particularly through research and support for sustainable plantings in the urban landscape, and to the community through the Avenues of Honour project.”