The Waitaki District Council is honouring the fallen with new life.
Yesterday afternoon, the council planted three memorial oaks, replacing the original oaks belonging to soldiers Sergeant Robert Lyal Aitken and his brother Private John Alexander Aitken, and Private George Addison.
When memorial trees were first planted in honour of the fallen World War 1 soldiers, it was done close to where they had lived in Corriedale, 22km northwest of Oamaru.
Now, the trees were no longer in a safe space.
Pte Addison’s tree had been trimmed to avoid overhead power lines.
Council rural parks officer Jane Matchett said the tree had been positioned under a power line with plans for long-term maintenance.
Rather than "mutilate" the tree even further than the 6m chopped off its top, Mrs Matchett and Mr Douglas resolved to plant new trees.
In order to clear the trees and plant new ones, the council needed permission from the soldiers’ family members, as the trees had a category-A listing under the district plan.
After a lot of searching, Mrs Matchett had been able to track down the soldiers’ families, including the Aitken brothers’ relatives Mark Lucas, Trish Watson, Tanya Hamilton and Judith Aitken, who attended the planting.
The trees were planted in a "paper road" off Weston-Ngapara Rd, 22km northwest of Oamaru, within 1km-2km of the original trees.
Mr Douglas believed about 550 men from North Otago died in the war, and only about 350 were honoured with a tree.
Many families had declined the opportunity to plant a memorial oak when the initiative began because of the painful memories they evoked, he said.
Mr Douglas was happy the new trees were in a place where they could "grow interrupted".
The council also planted a couple of memorial trees at the start of Tussocky Rd, about 17km northwest of Oamaru.
In the coming year, the council would address 20 other memorial oaks that were in similar circumstances, Mrs Matchett said.
