Green shoots from the Blue Tree

Published on 12 August 2025

When a group of local organisations thought about how they could raise mental health awareness in Loddon Shire, they wanted to do something different.

So they turned to the Blue Tree Project, a national charity that has gone global.

Founded in 2019 after the tragic loss to suicide of a young regional West Australian who had painted one of the trees on his family farm blue, it aims to spark sometimes difficult conversations about mental health and encourage people to seek support.

There are now 1,439 blue trees around the world honouring the aims of the project, and Loddon Shire is part of that list – with a difference.

For you won’t find our Blue Tree by looking in a paddock or the roadside.

Instead, the Loddon Healthy Minds Network, a 60-member organisation which includes Loddon Shire Council, went for a different approach.

Council Director Community Wellbeing Wendy Gladman said that as Loddon Shire was a ‘community of communities’ without a central hub, it was decided to develop a mobile tree for maximum impact that could take the message to all those communities.

Council, through the Loddon Healthy Minds Network, arranged for the construction of the tree, with funding provided through the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit.

“We wanted something that made sense for our shire, and we knew that it would need to be different from what others have done,” Ms Gladman said.

“The Blue Tree, trailer and resources can be hired from Council for free by anyone seeking to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing.

“The results so far have been overwhelmingly positive, with the Blue Tree at many social events in the shire.

“It has been a great way for locals to engage with mental health and wellbeing resources and information without stigma.”

To hire the tree, or for more information on the project, please visit the Loddon Healthy Minds Network website or give Council a call on (03) 5494 1200.

Caption: The mobile Blue Tree was created for the specific needs of Loddon Shire.