Rose planting in Te Awamutu
‘Peace’ and ‘Lest We Forget’ roses will again bloom in the sunken cross at Te Awamutu’s War Memorial Park, creating a colourful, living memorial to honour the men and women who have served Aotearoa.
Rose planting at Te Awamutu’s War Memorial Park.
Five rose bushes were planted in a special ceremony this morning, with members of the Te Awamutu Rose Society, Te Awamutu Returned Services Association, Waipā District Council, Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board, and the Te Awamutu War Memorial Park Maintenance Committee all taking part.
The Rose Society donated the Peace roses, while the council provided the Lest We Forget variety. These replace the original roses first planted in the 1950s when the park was opened.
Te Awamutu Rose Society president Diana Jones said the roses will commemorate our fallen and keep the memorial alive. “It’s an honour to bring them back, just as they were in the 1950s,” she said. “We hope they stay blooming here for the next 70 years.”
Sourcing the iconic Peace roses wasn’t easy, as standard Peace roses are no longer grown commercially in New Zealand. The Rose Society reached out to local resident Janet Pike, who generously donated budwood from her 50-year-old plant. It was then passed to Jan Barnett of Amore Roses, who nurtured them over three years before they were ready to be planted.
“We extend our deep appreciation to Janet and Jan for making it possible,” said Jones.
She says the project reflects the society’s motto: ‘To implant roses in the hearts and gardens of the people.’
The Peace Rose itself carries a powerful story – it was smuggled out of war-torn France, blossoming just as Berlin fell and the United Nations rose, and named just as the war was ending.
Te Awamutu Returned Services Association president Daniel van der Hulst said the memorial and surrounding gardens were a way to connect those whose names are engraved on the plaques, to those who served. “It also provides a place for families to play, for community groups to gather and is a link between past and present,” he said.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Rose Society and council staff for keeping these gardens thriving.”
Rose planting, from left: John Williamson, Peter Fletcher, Daniel van der Hulst, Diana Jones and Ange Holt.
