2/14th Field Artillery Regiment Memorial Tree

Across the Shrine’s 13-hectare Reserve are more than 320 trees. They are dedicated to the memory of our military units, battalions, squadrons and ships. They are a living a reminder of the thousands who have served and sacrificed in war, peacekeeping and peacemaking.

This tree is a Eucalyptus cinerea, commonly called the Argyle Apple. The reference to Argyle comes from one of the original counties of New South Wales where the tree was first found. This tree is a memorial to those who served in the 2/14th Field Artillery Regiment in the Second World War.

The 2/14th Field Regiment was formed in October 1940. It was originally headquartered at Victoria Barracks, just across the road from the Shrine. The regiment served in Darwin and were there for the 60 bombing raids on the city. In late 1943 they deployed overseas. The 2/14th provided artillery support for operations in New Guinea in 1944 and later in New Britain (another New Guinea island) in 1944. They ended the war stationed in Rabaul and disbanded in January 1946.

Each year there is a service at the tree on 17 October. This marks the anniversary of the formation of the unit. The service is always supported by staff and students from Christ Church Grammar School. The school has a long standing association with the 2/14th.