National Rose Garden
The National Rose Gardens are a heritage-listed rose gardens located in Parkes, a suburb of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory of Australia. The rose gardens were added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004. The National Rose Gardens, conceived in 1926 and opened in 1933, were Australia's first national gardening project and were planned as a physical expression of the principle of cooperation between the Commonwealth and the States. In the development of the Gardens roses were contributed by all States in Australia. The Gardens were intended to provide an interest for all Australians in developing Canberra, the national capital, as a garden city. The Gardens demonstrate a distinctive early example of twentieth century public garden design in a formal style. In horticultural terms the Gardens have provided the opportunity to exhibit the best varieties of Australian grown and overseas roses in a favourable climate. Their location in front of the (then Provisional) Old Parliament House was planned to enhance the setting of the House. The Gardens are valued by visitors to Canberra as well as the local community for their aesthetic qualities. History The concept of an Australian Rose Garden in Canberra dates back to 1926 when it was proposed by the National Rose Society of NSW to the Federal Capital Commission (FCC). Plans for the National Rose Gardens were prepared by 1932 and, through the Horticultural Society of Canberra, Rose Societies in each State were approached to contribute roses. Each garden was to have 2,000 standard and climbing roses and the beds were to have different varieties of roses arranged by colour. Thirty-eight public bodies and many private individuals contributed roses. The first rose was planted by the Minister for the Interior, John Perkins on 12 September 1933. The rose was a Daily Mail donated by the Victorian Mothers' Clubs. Over the following weeks 2,000 roses were planted and the gardens were fully planted by the next planting season. The gardens have some value for their association with Thomas Weston, the first officer in charge of afforestation in Canberra, whose ashes were scattered in the park he designed and laid out in front of the Parliament House. This park includes the National Rose Gardens and the grassed terrace of Parkes Place. Weston died in 1936. The gardens were refurbished for the 1954 visit of Queen Elizabeth II. This involved the replacement of many roses. The perimeter paths around the gardens were converted to rose garden beds and the pyramid style supports for climbing roses were replaced with rectangular timber pergolas. The garden beds were modified between 1965 and 1968 when King George Terrace was realigned and the King George V Memorial was moved to a corner of the western garden. In 1968 a restaurant was built on another corner of the western garden. The timber pergolas were replaced with metal and wire frames in 1968. Physical description The gardens are in two parts, set symmetrically either side of the grassed terrace in front of