Planted between 1917-18, the Soldiers Memorial Avenue commemorates the local men of Cowra who fought in World War I. During the war, the Australian Women’s National League organised many thousands of women to contribute to the war effort, with one such activity being the planting of memorial avenues of trees.
The Memorial Avenue in Cowra was planted by the women of the town to both honour the local soldiers who had left to fight in the war and as a beautification project. 400 trees were donated to the project by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Thought to be the second such avenue planted in NSW during World War I, the Cowra Soldiers Memorial is one of the earliest surviving examples of its kind in Australia.
The avenue comprises large, mature trees comprising of three species: Grevillea robusta (Silky Oak), Eucalyptus cladocalyx (Sugar Gum), and Schinus areira(Peppercorn Tree). They line two sides of the main roads leading into Cowra from the east (from Grenfell) and south (from Yass and Canberra) and are also a visual landmark to anyone entering the town from surrounding rural areas.
