THE Friends of the Hamilton Botanic Gardens (FOTHBG) committee were delighted last Saturday when they welcomed locals to attend the opening of the new rose garden at the Thomson fountain.

Up to 200 visitors attended the morning, where they enjoyed the Edwardian atmosphere of the gardens and were able to celebrate not only the 23 species and 270 new roses altogether, but also 170 years of the gardens.

The Dramus Theatre Company members and musicians performed on the day, assisted by Natalie’s Coffee Van and The Aged Care Trust Stall that fulfilled many people’s needs.

FOTHBG committee member and master plan coordinator, Leigh Coggins said that the day had a great turn out for both the committee and attendants.

“Our day was just perfect,” she said.

“The weather was perfect, which set the scene for a wonderful opening.”

Mrs Coggins said that the vision in inviting locals to the opening had significance to previous traditional garden openings.

“It was very community-minded,” she said.

“Looking through the garden conservation plan done in 1993, there was a wonderful photo of a whole lot of community people celebrating the opening of the fences and gardens that they had donated.

“I thought – that really links into our garden.

“Because we have had so many people commenting so positively when we have been working in the gardens, I felt that the community should come and celebrate what has happened in their gardens.”

Mrs Coggins said that the process came about in 1881, when William Guilfoyle designed the gardens, and decided that a rose garden would be perfect in front of the fountain. 

William Robert Guilfoyle was an English landscape gardener and botanist in the late 1800s, acknowledged as the architect of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne and responsible for the design of many parks and gardens in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Mrs Coggins also said that following Guilfoyle’s comments, the FOTHBG had a master plan formed with current Melbourne Botanic Gardens landscape architect, Andrew Laidlaw.

“In this master plan, this site is deemed ‘rose garden’,” she said.

The FOTHBG were delighted to have former Melbourne Flemington Racecourse ‘Keeper of the Roses’, Terry Freeman to be a guest speaker at the opening, having worked for over 40 years at the largest public rose garden in the Southern Hemisphere.

Mrs Coggins said Hamilton should be honored to have such a knowledgeable and well-respected figure open the rose garden for the community.

“It couldn’t be more perfect to have Terry Freeman (here),” she said.

“The important thing is that he has been managing roses a lot more than us, so we hope to learn quite a lot from him as to how ‘The Friends’ are going to manage the garden.

“He is a very appropriate person, with 43 years of experience with roses in the public space.”

The formal events were led by FOTHBG president, Marilyn Lyons, supported by rose committee member, Sophie Claffey, with Terry Freeman congratulating The Friends and the Shire for the development of the rose garden.

“When enquiring about his favourite rose, Terry named Golden Beauty as his favourite,” Mrs Coggins said.

“We are so proud to have that in our collection.”

The FOTHBG had used funds received from previous community fundraising projects to plant the rose garden, but also received contributions from the council for earthworks.

Councillor Mayor, David Robertson, thanked Mr Freeman for his prescence and they both assisted the FOTHBG rose garden committee chairperson, Midge Gough to cut the ribbon.

A plaque has been installed opposite the fountain to outline the history of the rose garden plan, the rose label indicators, and types of roses in the garden for visitors to enjoy. 

Mrs Coggins said that the Rose Garden should be a wonderful display for at least 8 months of each year.

“The Friends were delighted with the very successful morning,” she said.

“It was a delight to see so many community members enjoying the Gardens.”