In the Anzac Section of Gallipoli in 1915, there was a solitary stunted pine growing on a
scrubby plateau.  The tree was of a species indigenous to the Mediterranean known
botanically as PINUS BRUTIA: but more popularly called Aleppo Pine.  But this particular
lone specimen was conspicuous and served to provide a name for the plateau, which thus
became known as Lone Pine.

Indeed the fighting was so tough there, that this locality became symbolic of bravery  in this
campaign, where, pre-eminently, the Australian spirit proved itself and the world came to
realize that a new nation had come into being.  Later Lone Pine was the scene of one of the
most critical rearguard positions of the Gallipoli campaign, enabling the withdrawal of the
main body to take place in security - defeat whish was indeed a victory.

After half a century, the lone pine itself is dead. But it so happened that at the time of the
withdrawal, an Anzac, the late Eric Watson, of 24^th Battalion picked up a cone of that now
famous tree, and carried it away as a souvenir.  That was in December 1915.  Some twelve
years later a party of the 24^th Battalion diggers, which included the late Legatee Stanley
Savige, and the late Legatee Robert Irving, both foundation members of Legacy, were
reminiscing at the fireside of the owner of that unusual souvenir.  The idea of raising some
seed from the unique cone on the mantelshelf was explored.

They tried, they succeeded; four seedlings were raised and one became the first tree planted
at the Shrine of Remembrance - 24^th Battalion tree.  Literally, as well as metaphorically, in
Australia, the Lone Pine of Gallipoli lived again.

In 1964 Legatee Tom Griffiths, then President of Warrnambool Legacy, suggested that
seedlings should be raised in the Jubilee year of Gallipoli, with the object of planting
memorial trees throughout the Commonwealth to remind the new generation of the sacrifice
made by our comrades-in-arms in a campaign which was virtually the birth of our nation as a
power.

The project was outlined in a paper presented to the Perth Conference in 1965, and was
strongly supported.  Melbourne Legacy then undertook the propagation and distribution of
the seedlings throughout the Legacy Clubs of Australia.  Seedlings were raised from seeds
taken from the 24^th Battalion tree at the Shrine of Remembrance and were germinated and
established by the Forests Commission of Victoria at the State Nursery at Macedon during
1965.

In all locations, Legacy Clubs have launched their Project with due reverence, and in a spirit
of re-dedication to the Legacy concept of service, have planted these second generation
descendants of the Lone Pine.  We hope they will be cherished as a symbol of Australian
Nationhood, reminding us with just pride of the spirit, devotion, courage, selflessness and
service to others handed on to us from the ridges of Anzac.  We believe those ideals will
continue to grow, just as generations succeed one upon the other, whether they are
generations of trees or of men.