History

The Saumarez Heritage Rose Garden is a garden restoration project initiated by the Australian Garden History Society - Northern New South Wales - Armidale Branch. The Northern NSW sub-branch of the Australian Garden History Society anticipates that the heritage rose garden will, in time, be recognised as a rose garden of significance in a similar league to the Rumsey Heritage Rose Garden at Parramatta and the Rose Garden at Old Parliament House in Canberra and will be part of a rose trail beginning in Canberra, including Parramatta, The Hunter Valley Garden at Pokolbin and ending at Newtown State Rose Garden at Toowoomba.  A heritage rose garden is being developed at Saumarez Homestead by members of the Australian Garden History Society (NthNSW sub branch) on the site of the former orchard at Saumarez, with encouragement from the National Trust. Some 850 significant roses have been donated by a local Armidale resident, Miss Catherine MacLean, from her own garden. The local sub-branch has undertaken to construct and maintain the rose garden and transplant the roses. It is intended that the garden will tell the history of the development of the rose through the planting, signage and information booklet which will be produced. In return the National Trust of Australia (NSW) has installed a basic watering system and organised mulch supplied by the local Armidale/Dumaresq Council.  The property takes its name from the Dumaresq Estate in Jersey in the Channel Islands . For five years after settlement, Saumarez with its well supplied store, tools, clothing and basic food was the last stopping point for settlers moving north ‘beyond the boundaries’. After Dumaresq’s death the property was sold to H A Thomas, whose family lived in the original slab homestead overlooking Saumarez Creek. For more information on Saumarez visit the following sites The National Trust of Australia The Australian Garden History Society