Potential Blue Tree Project site in Linton identified

LINTON residents appear to have found the tree they will paint blue in support of men’s mental health awareness.

The dead, heavily pruned tree is on public land opposite the local takeaway store, near the skate park and the walking trail at the eastern entrance to the township.

Settling on a tree is a major step forward in resident and Linton and District Progress Association member Karen Sherlock’s campaign to give Linton its own Blue Tree Project site.

Ms Sherlock, a psychologist, learnt of the blue trees and their purpose while working in Charleville, Queensland, and said she had long considered leading a campaign for a tree in Linton.

She said locals had been looking for suitable trees since the call went out after a progress association meeting earlier this year.

“There are a lot around but not a lot of them are particularly appropriate,” Ms Sherlock said. “It had to be far enough off the roadside not to be distracting.”

She said the tree was probably ideal because it is very close to a public car park.

“We’ve got the car park here so people will stop and they’ll come to look at it and the conversation can begin from there,” she said.

The conversation Ms Sherlock referred to is the issue of men’s mental health, which led to the Blue Tree Project’s beginnings in 2019 and which was inspired by a story shared at the funeral of Jayden Whyte, who lost his life to suicide in 2018.

The original blue tree began as a prank by Jayden and a friend – together, they painted a dead tree blue on Jayden’s family farm in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region in 2014.

But what started as an act of fun and mischief has since transformed into something profoundly meaningful – blue trees have been painted at more than 100 sites in Victoria, and the concept has spread throughout Australia and worldwide promoting awareness of men’s mental health.

Ms Sherlock said she believed the tree is on Golden Plains Shire land, so a letter sourced from the Blue Tree Project would be sent requesting permission to paint it.

She said a second possible tree, a large one on Linton-Naringhil Road towards Geelong, had also been spotted and could be painted as well.

Ms Sherlock said the association is hoping that a business will provide paint for the tree as a form of sponsorship.

As for actually painting it, Ms Sherlock said the association would probably make the event a local family day.

“We’ll organise a day where the weather is appropriate and we’ve got a few people; we’ll make a bit of a day of it,” she said.

Ms Sherlock said the aim was to have the tree painted before the end of this year.

The Blue Tree Project website is bluetreeproject.com.au.

If you or someone you know needs mental health support, visit beyondblue.org.au or call their 24/7 hotline on 1300 22 4636. You can also visit lifeline.org.au or call them on 13 11 14 and help for young people is available at kidshelpline.com.au or by calling them on 1800 55 1800.