At the Marrar Planting Trees for the Queen’s Jubilee event are (from left) Angela McCann, Tony Kelly (Coolamon Shire Council), Terry Langtree, David McCann OAM, OAM (Mil) (Coolamon Shire Mayor), Anne Bush, John Pattison, William Pattison (Marrar Public School captain), Kirsty McKelvie, Reece Mack (Marrar Public School captain), Tom Pattison, Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, Tony Donoghue (Coolamon Shire Council general manager), Dedrie O’Neil and Jacqueline Collins (Coolamon Shire Council). Photo: Supplied.
Twenty native trees have been planted at Marrar to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The trees have been planted as part of a $15.1 million national program to celebrate her Majesty’s milestone.
Coolamon Shire Council was one of nine successful applicants in the Riverina and the Central West and received a grant of $10,000 through the program.
Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack and Coolamon Shire Council Mayor David McCann unveiled a plaque to commemorate the historic tree planting at Marrar on Friday, 5 August.
Mayor McCann said the council was proud to be involved in the jubilee celebrations and grateful for the funding, which will see avenues of native trees planted across the shire.
“We hope that in the years to come as these trees mature, the community is able to reflect on the dedicated public service of our Queen to our Commonwealth of Australia,” Cr McCann said.
Coolamon Shire is set to plant 100 Blakely’s red gum trees at the Marrar, Ardlethan, Coolamon and Ganmain cemeteries and at the Matong Sports Ground using the grant.
Mr McCormack said the tree-planting program was unique and he was pleased the Queen was being honoured in this way.
“Her Majesty planted 1500 trees during her many visits to Australia,” Mr McCormack said.
In 1954 Her Majesty visited the village of Marrar during her first visit to Australia.
Mr McCormack said many people from the Wagga district had fond memories of the Queen’s visit to Wagga city on 13 February, 1954.
“The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, spent just 145 minutes in Wagga, but the visit lives on in the memories of many residents 68 years on and has been described as the city’s greatest day,” Mr McCormack said.
“There were some 14,000 schoolchildren at Bolton Park to see Her Majesty there and I am sure many of them tell their grandchildren about the day they saw the Queen drive by.
Other recipients of the funding program include Temora Shire Council, Wagga City Council, Cowra Shire Council, Rotary Club of Junee, Bland Shire Council, Harden Regional Development Corporation, Rotary Club of South Wagga and Naradhan P&C Association.
The grant recipients will plant trees in public parks, villages, reserves, cemeteries, along walking and cycling paths, and in other open spaces.
Each of Australia’s 151 federal electorates was allocated up to $100,000 for tree-planting projects submitted by not-for-profit organisations.
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