Mortlake's historic Avenue of Honour axed as war memorial's future remains uncertain

Dying, sickly trees planted more than 100 years ago as a war memorial are being felled along a western Victorian town's Avenue of Honour.

Moyne Shire Council contractors began removing 15 of the Monterey cypress trees this week.

The move came two years after an arborist's report found a canker disease was affecting more than 20 of the avenue's 191 trees.

Heritage Victoria granted permission for the historic trees to be removed, after branches began falling onto the busy Hamilton Highway.

The first trees were planted in 1919 in honour of men from the town who died or fought in World War I.

More planting was done after World War II.

The avenue, which is Victoria's second-longest after Ballarat's Avenue of Honour, was considered significant both for its historical and horticultural value.

'No-one fought under a gum tree'

Two years ago Moyne Shire councillors voted to eventually replace all the trees with spotted gums, but Heritage Victoria and the Mortlake RSL objected.

The council has consulted with both groups to decide on an alternative.

There were concerns that planting more of the same species could lead to them succumbing to the same disease that has affected the old trees.

Mortlake RSL secretary John McGuigan said branch members welcomed the removal of the dangerous trees, but the issue was "close to the heart".

"We needed the trees removed because they were dangerous, but we need to see them replaced with a like-for-like species," he said.

Mr McGuigan said it was important to have the avenue made up of the trees soldiers encountered when they fought overseas in the world wars.

"There was no spotted gum, there were no rosebushes."

Moyne Shire councillor Jill Parker said it had been a "long process" and she was glad the dangerous trees were finally being removed.

Eventually all 191 of the cypresses will be replaced with a new species, but Councillor Parker said that could take years.