PRESSURE is building for the creation of a historic marker and rest area in response to two memorial trees in the Upper Murray being cut down following the recent bushfires.
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The Corryong RSL sub-branch was blindsided by the razing of a second tree late last week in an avenue of honour of seven cedars planted near Tintaldra after World War 1.
Work to cut down the remaining five trees in the Murray River Road avenue was halted by Regional Roads Victoria last week.
Sub-branch secretary Greg Nankervis said he was disappointed there was no notification of the tree removal and hoped remaining trees could be saved with the addition of a historical sculpture from remnants of the most tree cut down.
"If they are deemed to be unsafe by a professional arborist and they have to come down, then they have to come down because it is a safety risk to the community," he said.
"It is just the lack of consultation or notification, period, that this was going to happen.
"Our president has contacted RSL Victoria.
"They are not heritage listed, but each one of those trees represents a soldier who is a person, a son, a father, a brother of someone from a local family living in the area at the time.
"Most small towns have got avenues of honour and there is certainly one in Corryong that is heritage listed."
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It's understood one tree in the avenue of honour was cut down during the bushfires due to safety concerns.
Tintaldra resident Phil Coysh has a family link to the avenue with his mother's cousin, Keith Jephcott, serving in World War 1.
Tintaldra was also a major soldier settlement area and also impacted by bushfires in 1939 and again in the early 1950s.
"These trees are not about me," Mr Coysh said.
"They are about the RSL, the commitment our forefathers made and why these trees were planted in the first place.
"There is no doubt they've been damaged, but when you have a good look there is still a lot of greenery on them and need to be given a chance.
"There needs to be a bit of expert advice brought in before things go any further."
Mr Coysh said there was no evidence of the need for the trees to be cut down after the fire as had occurred along the Murray River Road and Murray Valley Highway.
He agreed it was an Ideal location for a memorial of some sort.
"It is the perfect location to stop with magnificent views up to Walwa and all around," he said.
"There can also be a storyboard about soldier settlement which happened at the time.
"The two that have come down would have belonged to a family."
Regional Roads Victoria regional director Steve Bowmaker said: "We recognise the significance of these trees to the community and we will work closely with residents, the RSL and Towong Shire throughout this process."
