LINKING OF CAPITALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19717, 17 August 1927, Page 8

LINKING OF CAPITALS.

GREAT AUSTRALIAN AVENUE

SYDNEY RESIDENT'S SCHEME.

TO CANBERRA AND MELBOURNE.

PREFERENCE TO NATIVE TREES

[fbom our own correspondent. J SYDNEY. Aux. 11. If a proposal just made in Sydney matures, motorists will be able to travel from Sydney to Melbourne, via Canberra, along a smoothly-paved road and between a continuous avenue of Australian trees- This ambitious plan for a distinctive Australian avenue to link these three capitals has been drawn up by the president of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Forest League, Mr. R. H. Cambage, a distinguished scientist, as well as an official of long standing in the New South Wales Gov ernment service. Mr. Cambage recently made a close inspection of the section of the road between Sydney and Canberra, and he has studied the tree 3 and also the geographical formation in various portions of the road. His proposal for the beantification of the road is to preserve all of the suitable trees at present growing beside it, and to plant others in the vacant spaces. Where the roads are sufficiently wide he suggests that. trees could be grown in groves or masses. With the object of making the avenue truly Anstralia, he says that preference should be .given to Australian trees, chiefly of the eucalyptus family. It is considered that it would be expedient to select as far as possible species which are natives of the district* in which they are to be planted. Such trees would require a minimum amount of care before attaining maturity At the same time each district would be able to its native Cora at its best, and the trees would have an educational value for travellers. For the sake of aniformity and symmetry it is proposed that trees of only one species - should be planted in short sections of a quarter of a mile to a mile in length, and at the terminal points the common and botanic names should be clearly indicated. The report gives a list of th£ trees growing in about 200 miles of the section. All of the States of the Commonwealth, it is stated, could be represented by the trees now growing or to be planted. It is Mr. Cambage's own suggestion that the route should become known as Australia Avenue. It is a great scheme and is sure to meet with many difficulties before it is carried to a practical conclusion, but its very boldness and picturesqueness are certain to strike the imagination of Australians as being worthy of endeavour.