Jubilee garden to be restored

A heritage-listed Albany garden commemorating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee will be restored to its former glory when completed in July.

Stirling Gardens were planted as part of Commonwealth-wide celebrations marking 60 years beneath the crown for Queen Victoria in 1897, complementing the rotunda also built in her honour.

As part of the Stirling Terrace precinct, the rotunda and gardens have been listed on the State Register of Heritage Places since 2006.

Spearheaded by Frederickstown Progress Association in 2011, ground works for the $10,000 project are finally under way, following a landscape design drawn by aptly named resident and former town planner Juliet Albany.

Works are being carried out by the City of Albany.

Garden committee convenor Pat Kerriush said when complete, the red, white and blue European heritage-style planting scheme would pay tribute to the British Empire in keeping with the theme of its original purpose.

“The garden follows design elements commonly used in 1890-1920,” she said.

“There were agapanthus there originally that are being retained and any trees that were there will also be reused.”

Permission was sought from the Heritage Council of WA to upgrade the garden, which stipulated any redesign must follow heritage themes.

Mrs Kerriush said the garden committee was also on the hunt for four concrete urns that once sat in the original garden that had disappeared over the years.

City of Albany works and services executive director Matt Thomson said shrubs lining the bank of the original garden were removed because people engaging in antisocial behaviour were concealing themselves in the undergrowth.

“Members of the Frederickstown Progress Association approached the City and expressed concern about the amenity of the area,” he said. “The Environment and Reserves Committee responded by agreeing to redevelop Stirling Gardens.”