THE Whittlesea Lions Club roared for wellbeing last weekend, hosting a moving community event in recognition of World Mental Health Day and unveiling a striking new addition to the Whittlesea Lions Park, a Blue Tree, symbolising hope, awareness, and the strength of community connection.
This year’s World Mental Health Day theme, “Community: Supporting Mental Wellbeing Together,” emphasises how strong, compassionate communities can protect mental health, foster belonging, and remind people that they are not alone, even in their darkest moments.
For the Whittlesea Lions Club, the message couldn’t be more fitting. For more than half a century, the club has been at the heart of the local community, working alongside countless groups and volunteers to provide support, connection, and service. Their latest initiative, the Lions Club Blue Tree Project, extends that legacy of care in a powerful and highly visible way.
The Blue Tree, designed and constructed by members of the Whittlesea Men’s Shed, stands proudly in the park as part of a collaboration with the broader Blue Tree Project, a national mental health movement that began in Western Australia. The initiative encourages people to paint trees blue to spark conversations about mental health and to remind everyone that “it’s okay to not be okay.”
The Blue Tree Project was founded by Kendall Whyte after the tragic death of her brother Jayden in 2018. The idea originated years earlier, in 2014, when Jayden and a friend, in an act of cheeky mischief, painted a dead tree blue on their wheat belt family farm. That same tree still stands today, now a powerful symbol of hope and remembrance.
After Jayden’s death, his story transformed a simple act into a global movement. Thousands of blue trees now stand across Australia and beyond, each one a conversation starter and a gentle invitation to check in, speak up, and support one another.
Whittlesea’s new Blue Tree continues that message, reminding residents that strength comes from community and compassion.
As the Whittlesea Lions Club said at the unveiling, the tree is more than just a memorial, it’s a message that by standing together, we can create a community where everyone feels seen, supported, and valued.
A plaque at the base of the tree is dedicated to the memory of two Lions members who have passed, Noelene and Betty who served the community for many years.
The event was attended by many local people representing the different community groups of Whittlesea, including Lions, Rotary, VIEW, Agricultural Society and Victoria Police – demonstrating how the Whittlesea community comes together, stands together and can support mental wellbeing together.
