PALMERVILLE Memorial Forest is a seemingly forgotten piece of Canberra, where trees once planted to remember passed loved ones now lie dead or missing entirely.

Former ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope was on one of his regular walks when he found the forest covered in knee-high grass, trees lying fallen or dead, and countless plaques dedicated to people who have died tragically stripped away.

“It’s unbelievably sad. All I can see is a betrayal of trust to those who planted a tree here in memory of a loved one,” said Mr Stanhope.

There’s an ethereal and solemn feeling to the place. Steeped in history, the land located beside Giralang, off Owen Dixon Drive, was home to some of the earliest European settlers in Canberra’s history, arriving in 1829.

In the late ‘90s, a campaign by Landcare Australia and Conservation Volunteers Australia saw land in the park dedicated for the memorial forest. People were able to plant a tree that would be grown in honour of those who have died. Accompanying it would stand a plaque displaying the passed loved one’s name, and that they were remembered through the “trees-with-love” project.

Many of those plaques are gone. Most of the others are buried by the grass. 

“The other concern about the state of the forest is the fire hazard it poses,” said Mr Stanhope.

“With dry grass this long, and dead trees and branches laying around it’d be easy for it all to go up in flames. It would be terrible to see the forest reduced to less than it’s already become.”

Karissa Preuss, CEO of Landcare’s ACT division, said the memorial forest was part of a national campaign that, at the time, did not involve the local Landcare network.

“It is now well recognised that local Landcare groups and networks should be involved in the earliest stages of environmental planning and management,” said Ms Preuss.

“Over the last few months Landcare ACT has been in conversations with the local landcare network, Ginninderra Catchment Group, the ACT government’s City Services and Landcare Australia about this issue.

“These partners will work together to identify what is required to best remediate the Palmerville Forest. Following this, funding will be sourced to undertake the work, with local Landcare networks.”

A sign just next to the forest reads it’s “managed” by Conservation Volunteers Australia, however the organisation did not provide comment when contacted.

Projects officer of the Ginninderra Catchment Group Fiona Spier said their organisation had previously tried to generate some interest in community clean up days for the forest, but without success.

“Our group was not involved or consulted as part of the original program but we can certainly see the need for works to be undertaken at this site,” she said.

“We do get phone calls every so often from people about their plot, some people wanting it fixed up and others wanting to plant a tree. I think we’ve become a bit of a ‘go-to’ for people to call as a Landcare organisation in the area.”

The group has also had some on site meetings with City Services, who Fiona said were “receptive” to concerns, and are developing a “long-term strategy” for regeneration.

A spokesperson from City Services said the department was not involved in the establishment of the forest, nor were they responsible for its maintenance. However they had met on site with the Ginninderra Catchment Group to look at options for maintaining it.

“Horticultural maintenance works were discussed including removal of dead trees and dead material as well as mowing in the forest,” said the spokesperson.

Sadly, they also said due to the density of the forest, it will not be possible to replant dead trees in their original location.

Despite these discussions of restoration, it remains a sombre fact the area had to so distinctly fall through the cracks before something more has been done. “Why?” is a question nobody seems to know the answer to.