Four trees, grown from seeds from a tree that survived the atomic bomb attack on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945, which were vandalised then nursed back to life, have been replanted in a special ceremony in North Fremantle.
The four Ginkgo biloba trees have been given a new home in Gordon Dedman Reserve, adjacent to the North Freo Bowlo and North Fremantle Social Farm.
Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge was joined by Deputy Mayor Jenny Archibald, the Deputy Consul-General of Japan Mr Daisuke Hasegawa, Councillors, community members and students from North Fremantle Primary School for the ceremony on Tuesday morning.
The seeds were gifted to the City in 2014, through the 'Mayors for Peace' initiative as a lasting symbol of peace and resilience.
The City partnered with Ellenby Tree Farm and the City of South Perth Nursery to nurture the seeds, until they grew into saplings.
In August 2020, four Ginkgo trees were planted at Fremantle's Peace Grove at Dick Lawrence Reserve in Beaconsfield. But in April 2022 all four trees were sawn in half in a senseless act of vandalism.
Not to be defeated, the City's Parks team sent the remains of the four trees back to the City of South Perth Nursery to give them the best chance of survival and replanting.
Mayor Fitzhardinge explained how Gordon Dedman Reserve was chosen as the trees' new home.
"The Parks team searched for a place with the right growing conditions and a caring community that will love them and look out for them."
Ginkgo biloba is considered the oldest tree on the planet, with some fossils dating back 270 million years.
As a deciduous tree, they go into a state of dormancy during winter but are known for their striking yellow autumn foliage.
A plaque, donated to the City by the Mayor of Hiroshima, will be placed in the Reserve at a later date.
Mayors for Peace is an international organisation of cities dedicated to the promotion of peace and nuclear disarmament.
It was established in 1982 by the then Mayor of Hiroshima and now boasts more than 8,500 member cities around the world. The City of Fremantle joined Mayors for Peace in 2004.
Deputy Consul-General of Japan Mr Daisuke Hasegawa stressed the importance of human connection as the bedrock of peace on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
"This act of destruction destroyed approximately 70,000 buildings and claimed the lives of around 140,000 people. Japan remains the only nation in history to have suffered the horrors of nuclear war. It is our collective responsibilities to ensure the atrocities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are never forgotten."
