THE ROSE GARDEN GETS A FACELIFT
FANS of Alfred Henry Whaling Memorial Reserve Rose Garden (aka The Roxborough Park Rose Garden) will be glad to know that it will undergo an upgrade as work begins on the demolition of the adjacent Waves Swimming Centre at Baulkham Hills.
Council has budgeted $300,000 for upgrades to the Rose Garden, with work expected to begin within the next 12 months. The $55 million development of the aquatic centre (see separate story) will mean that the iceberg roses along the pool boundary edges will be moved and replanted at Cropley House, Baulkham Hills.
Varieties of roses in a number of garden beds to the north-east of the garden will also be transplanted within the main garden as the beds have to go.
Work on the demolition of the Waves Aquatic Centre started this week.
As part of the aquatic centre upgrade, Council needs to manage the overland flow of water in the neighbouring park as an identified floodway sits within it.
The Alfred Henry Whaling Memorial Reserve Rose Garden was established in 1972. The original concept design was prepared by the senior landscape designer of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
It now boasts around 6,000 roses with about 80 different species. Local nurseries and rose societies and been donating varieties over the decades and the garden now features about 100 rose varieties. Some of the special roses include the Australian Bi-Centennial Rose, the Baulkham Hills Shire Council Centenary Rose and the Olympic Gold Rose.
Hills Mayor Michelle Byrne said Council is committed to retaining and enhancing the rose garden.
“The rose garden is a favourite community place to walk, relax and literally ‘smell the roses’ and we are planning to improve the walking paths and rotunda, fix the stairs and upgrade the watering system in the future.
“I can assure people that we will do everything we can to minimise the impact of construction on the garden, keeping it open for the community to enjoy.”
