Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Service Men and Women Association 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 Cupressus toruloasa, commonly known as a Bhutan cypress. It is an evergreen conifer that is native to the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. This tree is a memorial to the men and women of the TPI Association.

The Totally & Permanently Incapacitated Ex-Servicemen & Women's Association of Victoria (TPI) Inc. was formed in 1926. It has a long and proud history of providing welfare, advocacy and benefits to its members. The Association also supports families, dependents and the broader veteran community.

In 1920 the State Government introduced a Special Rate Compensation Scheme for people who had served in the Great War and been so severely affected by injury that they were unable to earn a living wage. Those who qualified for this special rate payment were referred to as Total and Permanently Incapacitated.

As the number of TPIs increased across the community, a group started meeting socially. In November 1925, a general meeting was convened in the Freemasons Hall in Elsternwick and soon after, the TPI Association was formed.

The Association would go on to provide aid and assistance not only to those who had suffered in the Great War but all Australian servicemen and women who were injured and incapacitated in the generations to come.