Watched by her husband, Somerset, the NSW Governor of the day, the tree marked the opening of the railway to the city.

At a small, understated gathering in the park yesterday, history repeated as Lord Belmore’s great, great nephew, John Belmore and wife Mary planted an English Elm just a short distance away.

The current Lord Belmore was very much aware of the Goulburn link through family photos of the oak tree and was keen to continue the tradition. Through Goulburn district friends Robert and Helen Rich, he initiated yesterday’s planting.

“It’s an enormous source of pride,” he told the Post.

“I’m also wearing another Australian hat as my mother was born in Perth.”

The Belmores live in ‘Castle Coole’ in County Fermanagh, northwest Ireland. Their Australian visit coincides with an Irish exhibition - ‘Not just Ned’ - at the National Museum in Canberra, to which they have loaned items.

The Goulburn drop-in was a pleasant circle of history for the couple. Somerset Belmore was NSW Governor from 1868-1872, after requesting a colonial posting from the British Government.

“He was a great enthusiast for the railway and he knew all about it,” Lord Belmore said.

“When he went back to London he was put on every parliamentary committee to do with railways in the British Isles.”

Somerset and his wife were also keen travellers to country NSW. They eventually returned to the family property ‘Castle Coole,’ where the current Belmores live. Lord Belmore said the title moved ‘sideways’ to the nephews over time. Somerset and Honoria, the niece of British Prime Minister William Gladstone - had 13 children - 10 girls and three boys, however none of the sons married.

Yesterday, he kept with tradition, allowing wife Mary to do the honours. She did not use the same silver plated spade employed on May 27 1869, as described in Tazewell’s ‘Grand Goulburn.’

Instead, it was a rather plain looking shovel.

“We’re greatly honoured and flattered to be planting such a lovely tree in a beautiful setting,” Lady Belmore said.

The ‘Ulmus Procera’ is just one of the English Elm replacements on the park’s northern avenue. Council’s parks coordinator Robbie Hughes said these had been removed over time.

“This was a perfect opportunity and it’s good to keep the link going,” he said.

• During inspection of the park yesterday, the Belmores noted that the original plaque commemorating the 1869 oak tree planting was missing. Council’s engineering services director Terry Cooper told the Post its mounting mechanism had been damaged. This has been sent for repair, along with cleaning of the plaque’s lettering. It will be re-mounted underneath the oak so as not to damage the tree.