The Rose has long been a symbol of love, beauty, war and politics. Grown since 5,000 BCE in Asia, this much-loved flower has many uses beyond just looking good, such as in food, medicine and perfume.
Our Rose Garden is designed in the style of a walled, sunken European garden. The high brick wall is covered in Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila), and shelters the roses from strong winds. We have many varieties of rose in this collection, including Hybrid Tea, Floribunda, Old Fashioned, Weeping and Standard.
Some of the roses on display include ‘Peace’ which was smuggled to America from occupied France in 1945, and The Wollongong Gold Rose, developed to mark the 50th anniversary of Wollongong City in 1997.
The beautiful gazebo in the centre of the Rose Garden is a popular spot for wedding photos. The rear wall of the Rose Garden includes a poem dedicated to the Aboriginal stolen generation, and poems of love and love lost can be found on the central rotunda.
The Rose Garden is also home to the equatorial sundial, a gift from the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden to mark Australia’s bicentenary.
Our Rose Garden's peak flowering period is from mid-October to April.
Location
The Rose Garden is a short walk from the south-eastern entry on Murphys Avenue, near the Duck Pond.
Map reference N-4 on our Garden Map PDF, 76 KB