Legerwood Memorial Trees
Created to honour fallen soldiers in World War One, the Legerwood Memorial Trees are a brilliant way to ensure their legacy remains remembered.
Following the end of World War One, many towns and cities in Australia chose to honour their fallen soldiers by planting trees to form avenues of remembrance. Planted during elaborate ceremonies, the families of dead soldiers placed trees as a permanent reminder of the sacrifice of their loved ones.
However, with time, the trees aged and became a hazard to people passing by. The thought of removing them and losing a link to the past was too much for the local community, so they came up with a unique solution. They engaged chainsaw artist Eddie Freeman to transform the trees into permanent memorials. Using historical photos of the soldiers, he sculpted the trees into wonderful artworks.
Not only do the sculptures show soldiers, but also depicts them in their civilian jobs, or with wives and fiancés. There are nine trees, in the park. They represent the seven men from the town killed in the conflict, one to remember the ANZACS and one to remember the sacrifice made at Gallipoli.
There is a plaque giving the history of the men at the base of each tree.
Getting There
Located just over an hour from Launceston along the Tasman Highway, Legerwood is easy to get to. Marked, appropriately by a sculpture, the turn-off is hard to miss. On street parking is available in the park, which also has toilet facilities and a barbeque area.
The Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees
We spent a lot of time walking around the memorials, reading the histories of the soldiers. The sculptures are great and it was wonderful that the artist used photos of the men to create each piece of art, because each one looks individual.
Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees 
A soldier on the Beach at Gallipoli Carrying an Ammunition Box and Billy Can A Bugler at Lone Pine Private John Henry McDougall The Memorial to Private Robert James Jenkins 
Private Robert James Jenkins Private Thomas Edward Edwards, Goodbye With His Wife Part of the Private Thomas Edward Edwards Memorial 
Private William Henry Hyde
What Did We Think?
This was a great stop and a wonderful way to remember those who fought and died in the First World War. We loved walking around reading the men’s histories and admiring the sculptures.
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What a fabulous idea! We also had a memorial drive in our town and the trees were chopped down for the same reason. If only we had this sort of imagination and foresight. Thanks for sharing. Mel
It’s a great idea and shows what can be achieved when people think about different way to fix a problem. Hopefully other places will take up this idea.
I will keep it in mind.