Seedlings from a highly symbolic tree that grew on the battlefields of Gallipoli are being planted around New Zealand.
Turkish red pines, directly descended from one that grew at the famous Lone Pine battlefield on Gallipoli, are playing a big part in centenary commemorations.
One of the first pine has been planted at a park beside Christchurch's Bridge of Remembrance.
It may not look much at the moment, but the Turkish red pine can reach 45 metres and live for 250 years.
"It will dominate the area in 200 years' time and that's a good thing because we have the Bridge of Remembrance here and the Gallipoli tree, I think they both fit together," says research scientist Alan Leckie.
The pine is one of 50 seedlings grown by Scion, a Crown Research Institute that specialises in forestry.
Their seeds came from the only living Turkish red pine in New Zealand, a gnarly old specimen on the second hole of the Paeroa Golf Course.
It grew from seeds a local school teacher obtained from Melbourne 60 years ago.
An Australian sergeant brought back some seeds from the original 1915 Lone Pine tree before it was shots to bits. Trees that grew from that seed were planted at war memorials in Australia, and now New Zealand.
Each Anzac Day Australians gather at the Lone Pine Cemetery. The battleground means a lot to Australians – in one month alone more than 900 died there. But the memorial now also features the names of New Zealanders.
But strangely enough, while the trees we're getting are authentic red pines, the one replanted at Lone Pine itself is a completely different type of pine.
3 News
source: newshub archive
