Some dead trees on the vast Conmurra Station midway between Millicent and Kingston have recently taken on a blue hue.

Property manager and Member for MacKillop Nick McBride wielded the paint brush to help raise awareness around mental wellbeing.

Mr McBride said his family and friends got together at Conmurra Station for the Blue Tree Project.

“This is a great initiative to encourage people to speak up when battling mental health issues,” Mr McBride said.

“We all have ‘blue days’ – just start the conversation – it’s completely okay – not to be okay.”

Hundreds of other property owners across the nation have also applied blue paint to dead trees in recent years including the Vestas maintenance workers at the Lake Bonney windfarm.

The aim of the Blue Tree project is to encourage people to start the difficult conversations and open up if they are suffering from depression and/or anxiety.

This project was inspired by a story that was told at the funeral of young West Australian farmer Jayden Whyte funeral in 2018.

Jayden painted a tree blue one night on his family farm, in Mukinbudin after sneaking out, wondering just how long it would be before anyone noticed the deep blue tree on the horizon.

What a shock it would be when his dad came across the tree standing in the middle of the paddock proud and blue, he thought.

Jayden was close with family and friends, highly intelligent and driven.

Unfortunately, loved ones were not aware of the extent of his mental health issues and did not have the opportunity to support him in a time that would have a tragic outcome.

The blue tree now holds a whole new meaning and project promoters hope to spread a message of hope by having people paint a tree in need of a ‘blue’ lease on life.

Blue Tree Project promoters believe these blue trees that are painted across the nation and the world can act as a visual reminder to check in with a loved ones.