Hiroshima plaque unveiling to mark International Day of Peace

The City of Fremantle will mark the International Day of Peace on Monday by unveiling a special plaque donated to the City by the Mayor of Hiroshima.

The plaque explains the significance of the four gingko trees that were planted at Fremantle’s Peace Grove at Dick Lawrence Reserve in Beaconsfield last month.

The four Gingko trees were grown from seeds from a tree that survived the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.

The unveiling ceremony will be attended by Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt, Federal Member for Fremantle Josh Wilson and former Member for Fremantle Melissa Parke, who is now an Ambassador for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

Mayor Pettitt said it was a great honour to have the Hiroshima gingko trees in Fremantle’s Peace Grove.

“The mother tree that provided the seeds for our gingko trees was less than 1400 metres from the centre of the Hiroshima blast and was one of the few living things in the area to survive,” Mayor Pettitt said.

“The seeds were presented to the City of Fremantle by the Mayor of Hiroshima in 2014 as a symbol of hope and courage to live in a world free of nuclear weapons.

“After receiving the gingko seeds the City of Fremantle partnered with Ellenby Tree Farm and the City of South Perth Nursery, who carefully raised them until they were ready to plant.

“It’s my hope that these remarkable trees will serve as a lasting reminder of the horrors of nuclear weapons and help to share a message of peace and friendship around the world.”

Two of the gingko trees were planted at the Fremantle Peace Grove on 6 August at 7:15am local time, to coincide with when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

The other two were planted at 10:02am on 9 August, the time when the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

The tree plantings were supported by Mayors for Peace – a global movement formed in 1982 by the Mayor of Hiroshima to raise awareness and push for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The organisation has since grown to include 7956 member cities and shires in 164 countries.

Fremantle joined Mayors for Peace in 2004 and is one of 26 executive cities around the world and the lead city for this region.

The City of Fremantle has also donated another six gingko trees to other local governments participating in Mayors for Peace - the City of Albany, City of Busselton, City of Rockingham, City of Cockburn and City of Subiaco.