Four trees in Wallan’s Avenue of Honour will be replaced with trees propagated from the budwood of the existing 53 trees.
Work to replace the dead trees in High Street will begin July 13.
Council workers regularly inspect the condition of the trees, which were originally planted in the 1920s to commemorate servicemen who served in World War One.
The four-metre tall replacement trees were grown at Mt William Advanced Tree Nursery, Lancefield, to ensure the consistency and authenticity of the avenue is maintained.
Council will plant the replacement trees on July 20 – the 104th anniversary of the Battle of Fromelles with a small ceremony – pending COVID-19 restrictions.
During the battle more than 5500 Australians gave the ultimate sacrifice – believed to be the greatest loss by a single division in 24 hours during the entire First World War.
Council’s replacement program is to ensure the trees are removed and replaced without disturbing the historical significance of the avenue, as well as reducing the risk of potential injury or damage to the wider community.
The Wallan Avenue of Honour is a significant site in terms of Victorian War Memorials as it is the only known avenue with Ulmus x Hollandica Purpurascens trees.
There are isolated plantings of the species in St Kilda Road Melbourne, Gisborne and the Kyneton and Benalla botanical gardens.
Council will monitor the trees over several years and it is anticipated all the trees will be replaced over time to ensure the Avenue of Honour is a safe memorial to Australia’s military history.
Mitchell Shire Mayor David Lowe said with a high volume of both on-road and off-road traffic in Wallan, the safety of residents and visitors to the Avenue of Honour was council’s top priority.
“It is great to be able to replace the four trees with a clone as it will maintain the integrity of this historically significant site,” he said.
“We urge people walking through the area to remain cautious when workers are removing the trees and to listen to their advice.”