Thieves steal memorial garden trees dedicated to loved ones

Volunteers have been left stunned after a memorial garden dedicated to lost loved ones was ransacked by thieves in western NSW.

Nearly $2,000 worth of plants were taken from the National Association for Loss and Grief (NALAG) memorial garden in Dubbo over the weekend.

The charity permits individuals to pledge plants in the garden in memory of loved ones who have died.

Among the stolen plants was 16 lilly pillies and three magnolia trees.

"It's not the value, it's the meaning," said Lorraine Holland, who has pledged three plants to family members.

"For everyone, it symbolises something different.

"For me personally it symbolises a memory of three family members who were very special to me."

NALAG provides free loss and grief support across Australia for individuals, groups, and communities facing loss or trauma.

"It's really disappointing that this has happened," said the CEO of the National Association for Loss and Grief, Trudy Hanson.

The organisation was founded in Australia in 1977 following the Granville Train Disaster.

"People come to NALAG in the worst moments of their life," she said.

"This is a great shock to us that this could happen."

Pledge a plant

Ms Holland helped orchestrate the garden through her role with Rotary.

To build the garden three local Rotary clubs, along with NALAG and local landscaping businesses, had people pledge a plant in memory of someone special to them.

The plants Ms Holland pledged represented her parents, husband and stepmother.

"I lost all those people within three years of each other and that was a very difficult time," she said.

"This was such a special project and meant so much to me. This situation is just very distressing."

She said her first reaction was "why would someone do this to an organisation that gives so much?"

Ms Holland said the garden is a statement of respect to the losses people experience.

"There's so much joy that it gives other people who may not have pledged a plant, but who go [there] while going through a challenging or difficult time," she said.

"For them to be able through a garden that is beautiful and inviting."

Community spirit

NALAG has reported the incident to police and called on the thieves to give back the plants without question.

Trudy Hanson is not confident of their safe return.

"I don't think there's much chance of the plants being returned and they probably wouldn't be much use now anyway after being taken out of the ground," she said.

Since the plants were stolen, Ms Hanson said they had been overwhelmed with support from the community offering to help rebuild the garden.

"I have to take hope into consideration that there are many good people who have come forward to help us replenish those plants, either in donations or offering to come along and help," she said.

"There are good people in the world who are supporting our service."

Email address