State Rose Garden
Roses are red, volunteers are gold
Meet Regina! She has been a volunteer at the Newtown
Park and Queensland State Rose Garden for over 9
years, but she’s been involved in the journey of the
garden for years before this. With over 2,800 rose
bushes and another 200 to go into the newly created
gardens, Regina definitely has her hands full!
Which is your favourite rose?
My favourite roses are the Floribundas and David
Austins; they have a beautiful shape and they hold
well. It’s hard to choose a favourite, I love them all.
How important is the rose garden to you?
The reason I love this garden is the same now as
it was at the beginning. This region is known for its
gardens and for almost 11 months of the year, there
are blooms here for visitors to see, explore and build
their love of roses.
Do you have a favourite section in the garden?
I love to walk around the gardens; there is the section
developed for the centenary and the space for
heritage roses that goes back to Princess Josephine’s
day. Each section as you get to know it has its own
beauty and reason for being there. Come early in
the morning and see the number of people using and
enjoying the park for lots of different purposes.
4
Regina (right) stopping
to smell the roses
with Patsy (left).
Some of the trees in the park came to us from
England. My late husband John nurtured the seeds
in cotton wool in the fridge and now they’re taller
than us. This is really something that will be here
forever and it’s nice to know that John’s trees are still
here for the community to enjoy.
Newtown Park is a must-see and with over 30 acres
of parks and gardens, pack a picnic and enjoy the
grounds. For more info, visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/parks
www.tr.qld.gov.au/bold
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