By Tania Phillps
Two months after it was painted, the blue tree at Applethorpe continues to do just what it was created for – start conversations.
The tree was an initiative by friends Sandra McEwan and Val Rogers following on from a program that is spreading around Australia after starting in Western Australia. The Blue Tree program now has 687 trees registered Australia-wide (including the Applethorpe one) and aims to help spark difficult conversations and encourage people to speak up when battling mental health concerns.
The program’s aim is that by spreading the paint and spreading the message that “it’s OK to not be OK”, it is hoped that we can all help break down the stigma that’s still largely attached to mental health and it’s one that Val Rogers firmly believes in.
“I’ve had a few friends who have had mental health problems and I read about this one in Western Australia and I thought why can’t we do something here,” she said.
“I mentioned it to Sandra one day and she said yeah let’s go for it and I said – but we’ve got to have a tree and she said we’ll find one. You’ve got one in your son’s paddock and I said ok if you think that’s good enough.
“Then she just got on and went to Mitre Ten and saw the reps and we managed to get the paint. We didn’t have a lot of help actually painting it but a couple of people came along – one fellow was really good, he worked for the council and he did a lot of the high work with Sandra which saved my husband. I don’t paint, it was just the thought that we wanted to get a conversation going about mental health. It’s really hard to start that conversation.
“Basically it is Ok to be not Okay – people have got to start talking about it and try to do what we can to stop people from committing suicide.”
Val said she had ben getting people stopping to talk to her about the tree.
“I had a woman at the markets come and say is that your paddock that your blue tree is in – it’s a start,”
“It’s been two months now since it was done and people are still noticing it. It’s served it’s purpose and its still going to. Unfortunately we don’t live in the house beside the tree there and I don’t want people pulling up and asking the people at the house if they can go and take a photo but they’re quite welcome to take it from the road on the top side. But obviously people are still noticing it.”
Val says the tree which is on the New England Highway at Applethorpe is a little bit easier to see if you are heading south.
For more information on the Blue Tree Project head to www.bluetreeproject.com.au/blue-trees.
