![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Blue-Tree-R-We-OK.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGOLFERS all over Australia have begun asking the question midway through their round of golf: \u201cWhat\u2019s with the blue tree?\u201d<\/p>\n
And that in itself suggests the idea is a winner.<\/p>\n
Hawks Nest Golf Club, a hidden gem located an hour north of Newcastle, is the latest to add a blue tree to their golf course.<\/p>\n
And for those still wondering what it is all about, quite simply it is named the Blue Tree Project.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a global mental health charity that uses painted blue trees as a symbol to spark conversations about mental health and suicide prevention.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a collaboration made even more meaningful with the recent formation of the R We Ok group.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
R We Ok has partnered with the Blue Tree Project at the Hawks Nest Golf Club, further strengthening its commitment to mental health awareness and meaningful dialogue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The club is home to the Hawks Nest Golf Club Social Club, whose members meet weekly for golf, fishing and even darts.<\/p>\n
Social Club President Phil Jones first discovered the Blue Tree Project during a golf trip to Tasmania.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jones admits he was moved by its mission and powerful message:<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing the blue trees in Tasmania really struck a chord with me,\u201d said Jones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re a simple but powerful reminder to check in with your mates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf painting a tree blue helps start even one conversation that could make a difference, then it\u2019s absolutely worth doing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, Jones approached the Hawks Nest GC board of directors and found they were immediately supportive of bringing the initiative to Hawks Nest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Blue Tree Project is a charity dedicated to breaking the silence and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What began as a grassroots movement in Western Australia has grown into a global initiative, sparking conversations and inspiring communities worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2025, Hawks Nest Golf Club members proudly launched their own community initiative, R We Ok.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Founded by long-term member Ray Tisdell, the group was created to encourage men to come together on the last.<\/p>\n
Friday of each month in a relaxed, non-judgmental, and enjoyable environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes blokes just need a place where they can sit down, have a chat and know they\u2019re not alone,\u201d said Tisdell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cR We Ok is about mates looking out for mates and creating the kind of environment where people feel comfortable opening up if they want to.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
What started as a small gathering of eight mates has now grown to around 30 regular participants, highlighting the strong community need for connection and conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now R We Ok has partnered with the Blue Tree Project, further strengthening its commitment to mental health awareness and meaningful dialogue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Together, they aim to foster connection, reduce stigma, and remind men that it\u2019s okay not to be okay \u2013 and that support is always close by.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hawks Nest Golf Club President Bill Hart said the club was proud to support initiatives that strengthened the wellbeing of not only its members but also the wider community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a club, we\u2019re about far more than just golf,\u201d said Hart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPrograms like R We Ok and the Blue Tree Project show the strength of our community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can help create a space where people feel supported and comfortable talking about mental health, then we\u2019re doing something truly worthwhile.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Blue-Tree-Painters.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
The Blue Tree Project is a global mental health charity that uses painted blue trees as a symbol to spark conversations about mental health and suicide prevention.<\/p>\n
Through mateship, community spirit, and open conversation, Hawks Nest Golf Club continues to show that sometimes the most important moments happen well beyond the fairways.<\/p>\n
For the record, the Blue Tree project was founded in 2019 by Kendall Whyte in memory of her brother Jayden Whyte, who tragically died by suicide in 2018.<\/p>\n
The idea of the blue tree originated from a tree that Jayden secretly painted on his family\u2019s farm in 2014 to surprise his father.<\/p>\n
After his death, friends and family created the Blue Tree Project to honour his memory and raise awareness for mental health support.<\/p>\n
The blue colour symbolises hope and serves as a conversation starter and encourages people to reach out to those who may be struggling.<\/p>\n
Since it began, more than 1100 trees have been painted across Australia and in other locations in the UK, Germany, the US and even Antarctica.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re talking about, so it must be working.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GOLFERS all over Australia have begun asking the question midway through their round of golf: \u201cWhat\u2019s with the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":619276,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,107224,755,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-619275","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-club-news","11":"tag-golf","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=619275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/619276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=619275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=619275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=619275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}