History – Preserving our rose heritage

The concept of a heritage rose is, to me, a dichotomy. On the one hand, roses have been the subject of centuries-old documentation by past cultivations. They have been written about, painted, drawn and sung about. On the other hand, you can hold, in your hand, a fresh, fragrant, and exquisitely formed rose, plucked straight from a garden.

This dual existence is currently on display at Matakohe.

Just inside the gates of the Matakohe cemetery, there is a plaque that reads, “This planting is a joint project between the Kauri Museum and Heritage Roses Northland. We acknowledge the generosity of Heritage Roses NZ, Tasman Bay Roses, the Coates Memorial Church Board, and the Matakohe Cemetery Committee in making this project possible as a living extension of the Kauri Museum, thus preserving our early rose heritage.”

In fact, now is the best time to visit this expansive, living collection of historical roses, splashed across Matakohe’s historical precinct, comprising the grounds of the Kauri Museum, the Coates Memorial Church and cemetery, the neighbouring Gumdiggers Cafe and Totara House. The roses are now in bloom, and they provide a history lesson, as well as a relaxing stroll around the extensive grounds.

The concept for these plantings, aimed at protecting and preserving a wide range of heritage roses, arose from a visit to the Kauri Museum by Heritage Rose Northland members Olga Yuretich, Jennifer Crawford and Jenny Stoddart. The group offered to plant a small number of roses at the museum. Chief executive at the time, Bet Nelley, welcomed the idea and offered the delegation a blank canvas of the museum grounds, including out-buildings, the cafe and Totara House.

On meeting Mavis Smith, who was still living in Totara House, Olga found there were already many heritage roses in her garden. She was delighted with the idea of planting more rose beds in her extensive garden.

Discussions were also held with the Coates Memorial Church Board and the Matakohe Cemetery Committee, and it was agreed that historical roses would grace the surroundings of all these historic buildings. Olga obtained more funding from Heritage Roses NZ and secured the support of Tasman Bay Roses as suppliers.

Drawings of the proposed rose beds were developed, naming every rose to be planted, and allotting it a space. Index cards were compiled for each rose, specifying its name, year of identification, shape, rose type, petal colour, flowering frequency and where it is located on the precinct. These plans are held in the Kauri Museum archives, along with details of the management plan agreed between Heritage Roses Northland and the museum in February 2021.

The establishment project was completed over two years – 2012 and 2013 – with more than 300 roses being planted. Members of Heritage Roses Northland and the Kauri Museum’s volunteer gardening group still maintain these roses.

Anyone wishing to become involved can contact either Judy Webster at webster.holdings@xtra.co.nz or myself on 021 823 944 or email marion.walsh@kaurimuseum.com.