The establishment of the King George V Memorial Avenue was the work of the Tamworth Town Beautification and Progress Association led by Dr. K.A. Piper as president. The Tamworth Town Beautification and Progress Association was an active group of civic-minded residents who joined together in 1935. Other members of the group included Tamworth Mayor Ald. Killalea and prominent businessman, T.J. Treloar.
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A meeting was held by the group in February 1936, at the request of the townspeople, where the decision was made to establish a memorial to the late King George V by planting an avenue of trees along the Lower Nemingha Road (now King George V Avenue).
The proposed memorial would take in a small drive of no great length around the flats and in time it would become one of the town's attractions where visitors could be taken. The area suggested was a good one as it did not come under the jurisdiction of the Main Roads Department, as for an avenue to be effective the trees would need to be planted close to the roadway.
It was decided that an avenue of English Oaks would be especially fitting as the Oak was a symbol of British prestige and associated with the King's Navy. Initially 424 trees were to be planted but later this was reduced to 318, with trees being planted 44 feet apart (13.4m) with a gap of 36 feet (10.9m) for the roadway. The growth of the English Oak would be such that it was expected that eventually the foliage would interlace overhead forming a canopy.
The residents of Tamworth and local community groups including Rotary and the Country Women's Association donated trees and money for the project.
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By June 1936, the Tamworth Town Beautification and Progress Association still had 15 trees left to source before work could start on the memorial avenue to King George V. Eventually council supplied the balance of the trees (15) to complete the avenue. At the June meeting it was also announced that the opening and dedication of the avenue would occur during the Tamworth Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Oct/Nov 1936.
Through the hard work of the McKinnon's and other residents on King George V Avenue, the remaining English Oaks were State Heritage listed in 2014.
