Soldier Settler tribute coming up roses in Wandoan
Published on 30 August 2024
A green army assembled this week to encourage locals and visitors to stop and smell the roses at the Wandoan Soldier Settlers Avenue of Honour.
Western Downs Regional Council's parks and recreation team, students and staff from Wandoan State High School and an army of green-thumbed volunteers mobilised on Wednesday to prune more than 500 roses that adorn the Avenue of Honour in O'Sullivans Park.
The Avenue of Honour pays homage to the Wandoan Soldier Settler Scheme, which granted 103 honourably discharged soldiers and their families blocks of land for settlement in and around Wandoan between 1952 and 1954.
Council spokesperson for Tourism and Recreational Spaces Kaye Maguire said the volunteer rose pruning initiative was a wonderful display of Council and community working together to establish and maintain meaningful vibrant and sustainable cultural attractions for the region.
"The Avenue of Honour holds a special place in the heart and history of Wandoan, where hundreds of standard roses, lavender and other bedding plants delicately line the avenue pathway within O'Sullivan Park," Cr Maguire said.
"The avenue was created to celebrate Wandoan's rich history and features individual plaques that recognise the contribution of the 103 families who came to call Wandoan home through the Soldier Settler Scheme.
"Since its opening on Anzac Day in 2022, the Wandoan Soldier Settlers Avenue of Honour has been a wonderful tourist attraction for the town, encouraging people to stop and meander through the parkland and cultural centre facilities."
Cr Maquire said the community rose pruning initiative had also offered a unique hands-on vocational training experience for local high school students and Council staff.
"Council was delighted to welcome 11 eager and enthusiastic students and two teachers from Wandoan State High School, who were able to learn the fundamentals how to plant and establish new plants and how to prune standard roses from our parks and recreation team," she said.
"The initiative also supported the vocational training of two trainees and six members of our parks and recreation staff undertaking a Certificate III in Horticulture, who travelled from all corners of the Western Downs to spend the day learning from our in-house horticulturalist.
"Volunteers are the backbone of our regional communities, and we were also very fortunate to have local residents keen to lend a hand and make the most of an opportunity to learn the basics of rose bush pruning and upkeep.
"The Wandoan Solider Settlers Avenue of Honour is a wonderful example of how our parks, open spaces and community facilities can be integrated to create a vibrant, active social gathering hub for connection, outdoor play, learning opportunities and cultural recreation."
The Wandoan Soldier Settlers Avenue of Honour is located in O'Sullivan Park, Henderson Road, Wandoan, where locals and visitors alike stop to enjoy the Wandoan Cultural Centre, visitor information centre, public art and interpretive storytelling within the community parkland.
The roses show their true colours throughout the warmer months with spring being one of the best times to catch the Wandoan Soldier Settlers Avenue of Honour in full bloom.
For more information contact Council on 1300 268 624 (COUNCIL).