Objects of Substance- Commemorative Tree Grove

The Principal, Judith Hancock, planting her red cedar as a father records the location.

In the 1920s and 1930s, there existed a Wattle Day Committee. Alma Hartshorn (1931) remembers a group of wattle trees down the hillside from Western Wing. A day in June was used by the Wattle Day Committee to raise funds for charitable purposes, and on those occasions the School community, led by the Head Girl, Hazel Muirhead (1931) would proceed to the Grove, where she would plant a new wattle tree, to signify the renewal by the younger as the older died. Wattle trees were chosen because they were the Australian floral emblem but also because the life of the tree was fairly short, so the symbolism was appropriate and poignant. It would seem that the Fathers’ Group in 2000 wanted a long er-lasting and more diverse collection of trees than wattles, and they chose a range of varieties that suited the site, including silky oaks, red cedars, quandongs, and hoop pines. Trevor Lynch, Fathers’ Group president remembers that the “long - term harvesting of the timber was always an option for the School to consider”. Students, past students, families, staff members, friends of the School were all able to choose the variety of tree they wanted to plant, and a precise record was kept of these choices in the commemorative booklet. Holly Rowell [Smith 2000] was one Grammar girl who was involved in this 2000 version of a tree planti ng event. She remembers “ desperately wanting to be a part of it. It meant a lot to me, even back then, to do something that would be seen and experienced by the next generation of Grammar girls. The growth of a tree, developing strong roots and then sprouting many branches as it climbs higher, is pretty symbolism for the nurturing and growth of minds and hearts that occurs at BGGS. We laughed a lot that day, that I recall, and we were so excited to have an extra day to spend all together. That was also really important. Your friends were everything and the bonds we formed at events like this tree-planting have bloomed into the most incredible life- long friendships.”