A portion of the Stirling Square Rose gardens in 1932. (photo from The West Australian 21-10-1932, p22, courtesy Battye Library, LISWA.)
Guildford is one of the earliest towns established in Western Australia following European settlement. The town plan was based on an English village with the site of Stirling Square designated as the village green. With the outbreak of World War 1, over 400 men enlisted from Guildford and many trained as gunners in the area before going overseas. The survivors returned home during 1919 and Guildford was a town in mourning. Almost every family was personally touched by the great losses of the war. Memorials were planned and service groups offered support to the widows and injured. In 1929, the Guildford Municipal Council decided that Stirling Square was a suitable place to establish memorials to the soldiers who fought in World War 1. The gardens, laid out by the Municipal Gardener, included roses, wisteria-covered arches and lily ponds. Local rose growers and members of the community donated the roses. At one time 1,100 roses were planted in Stirling Square - over 400 different varieties, and Guildford became known as ‘The Town of Roses’.
The ANZAC Commemorative Rose Beds are established in the same place as former memorial beds - a restoration of the rectangular beds seen in this photo - and pay tribute to the ANZACs who left Guildford for active service in World War 1. One hundred roses have been planted to signify the 100 years that have passed since that time. Rose varieties were chosen for their health, vigour, longevity and garden-worthiness. All the roses were bred prior to 1920 - varieties growing in Guildford gardens during and just after the war. A number of the roses in the commemorative garden have been propagated from plants of that era still thriving in old Guildford gardens. The re-development of these beds is an initiative of Heritage Roses in Australia Inc. in partnership with the City of Swan with funding through the Australian Government’s Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. The gardens are maintained by dedicated staff from the City of Swan and members of the Perth Region of Heritage Roses in Australia Inc.
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A portion of the Stirling Square Rose gardens in 1932. (photo from The West Australian 21-10-1932, p22, courtesy Battye Library, LISWA.)
Guildford is one of the earliest towns established in Western Australia following European settlement. The town plan was based on an English village with the site of Stirling Square designated as the village green.
With the outbreak of World War 1, over 400 men enlisted from Guildford and many trained as gunners in the area before going overseas. The survivors returned home during 1919 and Guildford was a town in mourning. Almost every family was personally touched by the great losses of the war. Memorials were planned and service groups offered support to the widows and injured.
In 1929, the Guildford Municipal Council decided that Stirling Square was a suitable
place to establish memorials to the soldiers who fought in World War 1.
The gardens, laid out by the Municipal Gardener, included roses, wisteria-covered arches and lily ponds. Local rose growers and members of the community donated the roses. At one time 1,100 roses were planted in Stirling Square - over 400 different varieties, and Guildford became known as ‘The Town of Roses’.
The ANZAC Commemorative Rose Beds are established in the same place as former memorial beds - a restoration of the rectangular beds seen in this photo - and pay tribute to the ANZACs who left Guildford for active service in World War 1.
One hundred roses have been planted to signify the 100 years that have passed since that time. Rose varieties were chosen for their health, vigour, longevity and garden-worthiness. All the roses were bred prior to 1920 - varieties growing in Guildford gardens during and just after the war. A number of the roses in the commemorative garden have been propagated from plants of that era still thriving in old Guildford gardens.
The re-development of these beds is an initiative of Heritage Roses in Australia Inc. in partnership with the City of Swan with funding through the Australian Government’s Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program. The gardens are maintained by dedicated staff from the City of Swan and members of the Perth Region of Heritage Roses in Australia Inc.