Lorne Victoria Australia

An Avenue of Honour for soldiers lost in World War One was constructed on the library paddock, now Stribling Reserve oval. An avenue of red gum trees was planted diagonally across the area to the cenotaph. The trees all had metal plaques on them listing the returned men, unfortunately none of these have been located. Thirty two students from Lorne School left their seaside town to serve in the First World War. Their service came at great personal cost, leaving lasting impacts on their health, wellbeing, and families.

1920s, Avenue of Honour, just below white mark. (LHS photo 5714)

On the 18th October 1921, The Birregurra Times reported that The fifty Red Flowering Gum Trees in the Avenue of Honour are looking well and making good growth. Many of the standards with brass plates in memory of Lorne men who made the supreme sacrifice are already in position, and it was expected that the few remaining ones would soon be erected as soon as the plates are forwarded from Melbourne. It was intended to plant the reserve with shade trees and plants, as suggested by the late Mr Cattani just previous to his decease and the Reverend Gates who had the design in hand. The trees appear to have been removed in the 1950s when the paddock was transformed into the Stribling Recreation Reserve.

Lorne Avenue of Honour Reimagined

In 2025 the VCE VM students helped restore Lorne’s long-lost Avenue of Honour after learning its history from 103-year-old former student Doug Stirling. With incredible community support, they planned, planted, and created a new memorial featuring QR codes telling the stories of the 32 former Lorne students who served in WWI, which was officially opened on 14th November 2025 with over 150 people in attendance.

A heartfelt thank you to Robyn Saunders, Cherie Osta, the Honourable Dan Tehan, Councillors Libby Stapleton and Leon Walker, and our wonderful sponsors: Lorne Community Op Shop, Bendigo Community Bank, Lorne RSL, Lorne Aquatic & Angling Club, Lions Village, Winchelsea Lions Club, Surf Coast Shire Council, and private donors Garry Fenton and the Chant family.

Visit the memorial on Grove Road outside Lorne P-12 College to experience this important part of not only our town’s, but our country’s history.

Sources:

Lorne Historical Society collections
Lorne – A Living History by Doug Stirling
Cheri Osta, Lorne School, 2025
Lorne P-12 College Facebook post November 2025