MILESTONES
It is 50 years since some of the land where the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens is located was gifted to the City of Gold Coast in 1969 by John and Essie Rosser. The home, built in 1922, the home block and associated garden remained with the family until several years ago. Kate reflects on its history and efforts to restore the Rosser garden.
One of Australia’s newer botanic gardens has a heritage gem at its heart Kate Heffernan, The Rosser Garden
Most people associate the Gold Coast with its tourism image and are unaware that the city has a significant history dating back to the cedar getters of the mid-19th century. The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens (Rosser Park) is located at Benowa, four kilometres from Surfers Paradise. Benowa’s history began with cotton farming along the alluvial floodplains of Nerang River, on land directly opposite the botanic gardens. Cotton proved unsuccessful, and was followed by sugar cane farming introduced by Scottish-born Robert Muir in 1866 on a 455 hectare allotment. It included the 36 hectare site of the botanic gardens. Muir, the sugarcane and associated mill have an interesting history of their own, but immediately post World War One sugar cane became unviable and the land was subdivided into 23 allotments as the Parberry Estate. Small holdings included dairy farms, maize and corn, and vegetable production. Some of these allotments are now part of the botanic gardens. John and Essie Rosser purchased Lot 19A, approximately three hectares on the well grassed ridge, scattered with several remnant eucalypts, as well as trees planted around the original Muir home during the late 1860s and 1870s. Muir’s house was no longer standing. Several trees planted by Muir remain, and together with other mature trees in the Rosser Garden and Orchard, were initially assessed by Diploma of Horticulture students from Gold Coast TAFE. The students interviewed John and Essie’s daughter Gene Rosser in 2000.
THE BOTANIC GARDENer | ISS 53 SUMMER 2019/20
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