Melbourne photographer and horticulturalist Sarah Wood will open the exhibition Avenues of Honour at the B1 Art Space in Camp Street tonight at 5pm. 

Ms Wood said she was moved to document Victorian memorial avenues, including Ballarat’s Arch of Victory and Avenue of Honour, as many were more than 90 years old and some had already been lost to drought, development or neglect. 

“It was originally a long-term idea I had to help document these avenues for future generations,” she said. 

“The sense of community that developed around them is just amazing and shows how rural communities around Australia lead the way through setting up committees and planting  memorials.” 

Ms Wood chose the avenues included on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Eurack  has the oldest avenue (planted in 1916) and more than 100 others were planted during the following five years. 

Ms Wood said the project had a personal resonance for her.

“I had a grandfather who went to Gallipoli, so the stories of war and recognition of memorials has a lot of history in my family,” she said. 

The exhibition coincides with the Australian Garden History Conference, for which 300 delegates are visiting Ballarat from around Australia.

WHAT: Avenues of Honour. Recent photographic works by Sarah Wood

WHEN: November 1-17, Thurs-Sat, 11am-4pm

WHERE: B1 Ballarat Art Space, Camp Street

INFO: www.ballaratart.com

thomas.mcilroy@thecourier.com.au