One of the benefits of membership of Australian Garden History Society (AGHS) is the opportunity to explore a place more closely than the casual visitor. What lies behind that hedge or that avenue of stately trees or old dry stone wall? We can go beyond the usual tourist sites and see how history, initiative, dedication and passion have shaped the landscape in the last two hundred years.
In a comprehensive report, Janet Whelan relates what people from the Tasmanian branch learned during a spring visit to Ross. Ross is a village in the Midlands of Tasmania. Originally established as a garrison in 1821, Ross was laid out as a town, but was not proclaimed as such until 1847. It is located on the Macquarie River, 78 km south of Launceston and 117 km north of Hobart. The town is listed on the Register of the National Estate and is noted for its historic bridge, original sandstone buildings and convict history.
Whelan’s illustrated article can be found on the Tasmanian Branch’s page of the website.
Photo Ian Kilgour, Locheil garden with macrocarpa topiary ‘bottle trees’