Noting that Canterbury Bankstown boasts one of Australia’s highest Australian-Lebanese communities, Councillor Bilal El-Hayek called for the memorial in August and says the Cedar tree is symbolic of Lebanon with “its image entwined with the history of the land and its people”.
“The desire to help is perfectly natural, as is the frustration and disappointment when we don’t feel as though we are helping enough, or our efforts are constrained by the Covid pandemic,” he said.
“But what we can do, as a council, is to give our people a place to go where they can reflect, mourn and, when it is safe to do so, come together.”
Mayor Khal Asfour said that while it will took many years to rebuild Beirut, the spirit of the people would never be broken.
“There’s no better symbol than planting this iconic species, to serve as a memorial to those who have lost their lives, loved ones or their home,” he said.
The two 1.6 metre Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus Libani) trees were grown in Tasmania and unveiled at ceremonies in Northcote Park at Greenacre and Terry Lamb Reserve in Belmore.
