Picturing an honourable avenue

CELEBRATING the stories behind Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour, a new exhibit has just opened at the Art Gallery of Ballarat containing a variety of photographs by Australian photographer Trent Parke.

Six years ago, Parke produces a series of 22 images of trees along the Avenue of Honour to submit to the international exhibition The First World War shown in Bruges, Belgium.

“It was one of the most incredibly emotional experiences I’ve ever had … it is unfathomable really the stories that happened to these people,” Parke said.

The collection of images has since been acquired by the Ballarat Art Gallery and are now on display for the first time.

Gallery’s director Louise Tegart said that due to Parke’s status as one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary photographers, this purchase of the series was particularly noteworthy.

“He came to Ballarat and took the photographs and then did a whole body of research at places such as the National Archives in Canberra to discover the stories behind the trees on the Avenue of Honour,” she said.

“This was a really significant acquisition for the Gallery, Trent is an internationally renowned photographer … so he was always someone we wanted to acquire for the Gallery anyway.

“This is presenting a new context for that memorial that you don’t get just on the actual trees.”

First planted in 1917, the Avenue of Honour now has over 3800 trees and stands tall in commemorating the sacrifice of the men and women from Ballarat during various wars.

Avenue of Honour committee chair Garry Snowden said the exhibit is a great way for people to be reminded of the meaning behind the living memorial.

“The wonderful thing about this exhibit is it reminds everyone that behind each of these trees there’s a story of a profound experience by a local citizen from the First World War,” he said.

“Vast majority of Ballarat citizens are very proud of our Avenue of Honour which is the longest commemorative avenue in Australia and every now and again it is good to be reminded of the human stories behind it.”

Catch the exhibition in the Gallery until 14 March.