The first Arbor Day in Australia took place in Adelaide, South Australia in June 1889. It followed the American tradition established in Nebraska in 1872. Victoria first held Arbor Day in 1890.
In January 1890 Baron von Mueller, the Victorian government botanist, gave an address to the Australasian Science Association of which he was president elect. In his speech he mentioned Arbor Day:
“The annual “arbor day,” let us trust, will become universal as a legitimate holiday, to which will be looked forward with delight, particularly by the juveniles, who with a life of hope before them can await results from pleasurable action and intelligent forethought. Celebrations like these are not without a lesson to the whole community. The increment to the wood estate of Victoria would be now already 200,000 trees annually if some slight tending followed the impulse of planting.”
In that year, 1890, three miles of avenues in Victoria Park in Ballarat were planned to be planted to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday, 24 May, for Arbor Day. Otherwise preparations were made to celebrate Arbor Day on 21 June. Mr Perrin, Conservator of Forests, hoped 40,000 trees would be planted in the drier areas of Victoria.
I am not sure if the Avoca district participated in that first Arbor Day. However, by 1906 Arbor Day was celebrated in Percydale and by schools at Homebush and Avoca among others.
In April 1906 under Horticultural Notes the Leader (Melbourne, Vic) announced:
Mr. A. Sublet, head teacher, State school, Percydale, via Avoca, states that he is willing to forward wattle seed (black and golden wattle) to teachers, on receipt of a stamped envelope
In June 1906 many Victorian newspapers reported on Arbor Day at Percydale including The Argus and The Ballarat Star of 19 June 1906:
The Director of Education states that Arbor Day celebrations in connection with the State schools are now in full swing, a different day being observed in each district, in order to facilitate the despatch of trees from the State nursery. Amongst the various reports received on the subject from State school teachers is one from Mr Sublet, head teacher of the Percydale school He reports that on Arbor Day there, 60 loads of soil were deposited on the school gardens, and large number of visitors and scholars were kept busy. Previous to Arbor Day, the Percydale school nursery supplied 52 schools with acacia seed, and has also sent trees to schools at Homebush, Dunack, Rathscar, Carisbrook, Red Bank, Avoca, Kimberley, and Timor West
Early twentieth century about 1905-1915
Wikitree: Albert Sublet (1871-1958) : teacher at Percydale school 1042 from 1901 to 1908.
