There are hopes the sawn-off Gingkos might recover after their winter dormancy.

FOUR peaceful Beaconsfield saplings directly linked to the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 have been chopped in half by a vandal.

The saplings were planted at Dick Lawrence Oval as part of the Mayors for Peace project in 2022 and had been grown from the seeds of a Gingko biloba which survived the nuclear attack on the Japanese city in the dying days of WWII. After germination they were nurtured for almost seven years before being transplanted.

The vandalism, which included the sawing in half of 12 young eucalypts nearby, has Fremantle council staff scratching their heads as to the motive; none would have blocked views and while Gingkos can produce a bit of messy leaf litter, they weren’t all that close to homes.

Council media officer Tim Whyte said there were also similar attacks on trees in Hollis and Parmelia parks in recent weeks, with all showing the distinctive mark of a saw.

Mr Whyte said the vandalism had been reported to police, while they were urging anyone who saw anything suspicious to report it to info@fremantle. wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 MY FREO.

“Replacing the gingko trees isn’t easy,” Mr Whyte said.

“The good news is that there’s a chance they might survive, but we won’t know until spring.

“They’re entering their winter dormancy, and come spring there’s a chance they will reshoot, and with careful management will grow back again.

“In the meantime we’re considering what protective measures we can put in place.”

by STEVE GRANT