ROSALIND PARK

PALL MALL AND VIEW STREET AND GAOL ROAD AND PARK ROAD BENDIGO, GREATER BENDIGO CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register

ROSALIND PARK SOHE 2008

Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    ROSALIND PARK - History

    Draft

    Government camps serving colonial goldfields were typically built on hills or escarpments for surveillance purposes. Camps existed at Bendigo, Ballarat, Creswick, Clunes, and Back Creek (Talbot), with Bendigo being one of the largest camps within the Victorian goldfields area. Buildings within the former Government Camp Precinct in Bendigo included: a stockade, gaol, police station, courthouse, mining surveyor's office, mining office, sub-treasury, superintendent of police office, police barracks, a stores building, flagstaff, stables, and powder magazine (Queen Elizabeth Oval House). To the east of these buildings was a cemetery (which was relocated following its close in 1858). To the south, on the other side of Bendigo Creek, was a garden (perhaps a vegetable garden for the camp), as well as the premises of the Sandhurst Fire Brigade.
    
    Significantly Rosalind Park, like Lake Park Reserve in Creswick, preserves the site largely as open space. The former Garden Gully United Mine poppet legs was presented by relatives of the first Directors and erected by Bendigo City Council in 1931. The poppet sits on the main vantage point in the Park, Camp Hill, known generally to visitors as 'Look-out Tower'. View from the structure offers a panoramic view over the city in all directions and preserving the original function of a lookout point.
    
    It was also not uncommon for public gardens to be located on water reserves close to government camps. Rosalind Park shares this attribute with Phillips Gardens (Maryborough) and Queen Mary Gardens (St Arnaud).
    
    Cascades
    Cascades, water features and other garden follies were commonly incorporated into designs for romantic and classical gardens. The use of cascades in European garden design developed towards the end of the 18th century and often involved a dramatic fall of water over a ramp, staircase, boulder outcrop or wall. They were more common in Italy, Germany and France than in Britain, although Chatsworth is notable.
    
    Those built in Victoria tended to be built in miniature scale, with the use of rustic rockwork which was usually in association with ferneries, as in the Fitzroy Gardens or Rosalind Park. These cascades usually attempted to mirror naturally occurring fern gullies. Waterfall/grotto constructions such as the example at Rippon Lea were also comparatively small and rustic in style. Prominent, wealthy local mine owner, George Lansell, visited Italy in 1875 and was greatly influenced by the artwork, architecture and water features of the many famous villas he visited.
    
    The original Government Camp Precinct, bound by View Street, Pall Mall, Bridge Street, Park Road and Barnard Street, also includes the following individual Victorian Heritage Register places: Old Police Barracks (H0545), built in 1860; Former Supreme Court (H1465), built in 1857; HM Prison Bendigo (H1550), built in 1861; and Camp Hill Central School Number 1976 (H1642), built in 1877. The area historically known as Commissioners Gully, bound by Barnard and View Streets and Park and Gaol Roads, is listed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory (H7724-0263) for its potential to contain artefacts and deposits relating to the use of the former Government Camp during the gold rush in the mid-1800s. The Gully may also produce artefacts relating to gold mining activities in the area. In 1874, two large ponds were created in the area to the northern end of the Park, Aside from the ponds, the use of the land for recreational purposes is unlikely to have extensively altered the below-ground component of the site.

    History of Place:
    
    Years 1852 - 1861
    The area known as Rosalind Park (formerly Government Camp Precinct) was first mapped by Surveyor George Urquhart, and designated a Government Camp to serve the local goldfields in 1852. The Camp was the scene of a large protest, in 1853, by miners upset by the gold mining license fee imposed by the colonial government on mining for gold. Pall Mall was first surveyed in 1854 by surveyor Richard Larritt and his plan shows Bendigo Creek meandering through the government reserve. He indicated a cemetery in Bridge Street (to the north of the reserve) and the new thoroughfare. Pall Mall was almost twice its present width. Larritt's plan of the Camp showed a large fenced garden (perhaps for vegetables) adjacent to the creek in the location of the present fernery. Pall Mall and View Place (now View Street) were the only surveyed boundaries, with Commissioner's Gully forming an imprecise western boundary.

    In 1856, Gold Commissioner Joseph Panton and Edward Emmett, Chairman of the local municipality, suggested the idea of transforming the camp of makeshift buildings and reserve into a park, but Emmett's motion, moved in September that year, lapsed for want of a seconder. Instead more permanent government buildings were erected. At that time, Bendigo Creek was transformed by the cutting of a channel which was the precursor to the present paved channel. A rush by miners to the flat adjacent to the creek in 1859 caused much damage but blue gums were planted along Pall Mall in 1860 and the roadway was levelled. Barnard Street and Water Street were surveyed by 1857 and these roadways formed the remaining two boundaries of the government camp.

    Located within the camp, the Queen Elizabeth Oval House is one of the oldest surviving Government Camp structures in the park. The House was constructed in 1857 as a powder magazine as part of a colonial Government initiative to replace temporary camp structures with permanent buildings. In 1864 the House, constructed of locally made brick and sandstone sourced from the nearby Ironbark Ranges, was converted into a residence for the first curator of Rosalind Park, George Brown. The House became a caretaker's residence in 1909.

    
    1861 - 1869

    Fifty-nine acres of the land were permanently reserved (almost identical to the present reserves) and a strip of land reserved or alienated along View Street) for use as a recreation reserve, and handed over to the Sandhurst Borough Council in 1861. The council began to improve the area and work commenced immediately on fencing, constructing paths and excavating a pond. One year later George Brown was appointed first curator (having been selected ahead of 11 other applicants). It was during these years that the name Rosalind Park (a reference to the miniature park in Shakespeare's As You Like It) was first used. By July of that year, £1817 had been spent on the reserve.

    In September 1863, when the formalities of official reservation had been finalised, Rosalind Park was slowly developed and landscaped although the presence of a puddling mill and makeshift dwellings provided obstacles. Competition was also provided by the botanic garden at White Hills which was developed from the late 1850s and funded from the same purse as Rosalind Park. As the 1860s progressed, Rosalind Park began to assume a greater priority and significance. As the Bendigo Advertiser observed:
    
    "The Reserve [Rosalind Park] is in the centre of population and the effect of making it into a fine garden would be to give pleasure to a very large number of persons, especially in the summer months. The gardens at the Whitehills on the other hand, are so distant that except on Sunday they are seldom had recourse to except by the residents of Whitehills ... It will not do to continue the present system of spending money when so little value is obtained for it."
    
    1870 - 1880
    Controversy flared in 1871 when applications to mine the area adjacent to Bendigo Creek were considered by the council. Being outside the reserve, the council were keen to see the development and they finally gave permission to the City of Sandhurst Mine with the provision that the works were enclosed with an ornamental fence. Development continued to progress in the 1870s, with the addition numerous plantings, A bandstand and aviary (both now removed) were added and, following the clearing of some gum trees, almost 300 new trees were planted; included amongst these were elms, robinias, pines, and silver poplars as well as 15 blue gums. Correspondence from Ferdinand von Mueller, director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens reveals that he dispatched several greenhouse plants to Bendigo, requesting in return a truck of quartz in large pieces. Around the same time he also forwarded 335 plants, and 96 species of seed to the public gardens of Sandhurst. Curator Samuel Gadd, who was appointed during this time, submitted plans consisting of a network of paths ten feet in width, avenues planted with shady trees at twenty feet intervals, parkland ornamented with choice specimen trees, and hillside terrace with trees and creepers. A cascade (designed by local architect William Vahland) and a large fernery were established in 1880. The park includes statues, fountains and a vaulted grotto (which was filled-in some time in the twentieth century and partially re-instated in 1997).

    A report of 1873 from the reserve keeper shows types and numbers of each tree planted in the reserve from July to October, with the total number of trees planted amounting to 296, of which there were ten varieties. In February 1874 the curator of the gardens reported that the daily number of visitors in January was 6,634. In March the daily number was 5,695. An 1874 plan indicates two large ponds along Barnard Street. The northern-most tip of the Rosalind Park reserve was divided by the creation of Park Road and designated Agricultural Show Yards. The mine, located on the site of the present RSL building, is clearly visible in Nicholas Caire's 1875 photographs.

    
    
    The Fernery
    Curator Simon Gadd controlled all the reserves in Bendigo in the mid-1870s and had a number of staff responsible for particular aspects of the city's parks, reserves and street trees. Mr Lyons was the curator of the fernery, while Mr Roper supervised street trees. The present school building was erected in 1877 and this provided a dominant focus for the park. In 1878 an ornamental iron fence on a stone plinth was erected and two years later the fernery was established on its present site, a location formerly occupied by a clump of willows in the bend of the creek, known as 'The Willows'. The fernery had initially been proposed in 1879 by G. S. Mackay, who was a leading authority on ferns. He remarked in the Bendigo Advertiser of 12 July 1879, that 'if the City Council were to convert the Lower Reserve into a fernery it would be a pleasing attraction to the many visitors who would throng to see it'. When completed, the fernery is reported to have covered four acres. By 1891 the fernery had become an 'enchanting retreat' and 'was described by competent authorities in the neighbouring colonies as the finest fernery in Australia'. The present fernery is just under an acre in size. Some of the land was lost to the Council depot.
    
    The Cascade, Fountains and Grotto
    In 1880 an aviary that stood in the vicinity of the fernery was removed to the White Hills Botanic Gardens, where a zoo was a popular attraction. Early that same year plans were being made to erect a memorial column and fountain at Charing Cross just outside the park. Wealthy mine owner George Lansell, who was a member of the design committee, 'appears to have suggested the construction of an additional water feature, a series of basins and cascades to connect with the existing Rosalind Park fountain and the proposed Charing Cross fountain'. An earlier fountain was already in existence in the park, possibly dating from the mid-1870s, and this structure appears to have been re-used in the new work.
    
    The final designs were provided by local architect William Vahland. On 16 April 1880 he submitted to the Council 'a design of the Cascades to be erected in the Reserve, a design of the Fountain etc. at Charing Cross ... ' The next day the Bendigo Advertiser announced that the designs had been approved by Council. The proposed cascades would have alternating fountains which would fall from the top of the hill in the park down to a larger fountain. As Sandhurst already had water supply problems, the project with its demand for large mains to provide large volumes of water, must have appeared ambitious. Peter Finn's tender of £465.15.0 was accepted for the cascade work, and Thomas Saunders won the fountain tender for £1201.1.0. Construction began in September 1880, and was still underway with its problems the following year; the curator S. G. Gadd had to spend part of his budget on irrigation works relating to the cascades, as well as tolerate the destruction of trees and shrubs, and postpone his planting schedule. By August 1881 works had halted, and the contractor given notice. Over a year passed and the project was still unfinished.
    
    It is not known when the cascades were officially operating, but a local publication describes their appearance in 1895 as 'a rippling fountain constructed of granite, and granite cascades on the hill side among the trees and ferns ... form a picturesque and pleasant retreat from the busy thoroughfare of the city'. The construction featured an uppermost statue, an intermediate grotesque spout and a tuckpointed, coursed basalt grotto structure adorned with decorative urns. By the turn of the century the upper and lower fountains were suffering from neglect. Later the pool of the lower fountain was filled in and its surrounding ornamentation removed, although the base and bottom dish were still apparently functioning as a fountain. The basalt grotto structure was also intact, but the decorative urns had disappeared.
    
    It is not known when the cascade was filled in, or when the lower fountain was removed from the park. Reassembled portions of the fountain were erected in Hargreaves Mall in 1981, but the base of the structure is missing. The fountain statue was destroyed during filling-in works, but some fragments are held by the Bendigo Art Gallery. A hand was found at recent excavation works. The lower half of the middle level grotesque spout remains in situ, as does most of the stonework of the cascade itself. The basalt grotto survives almost intact.
    
    It has been indicated that faulty construction methods, which consequently caused leakage, as well as an inadequate water supply, contributed to the failure of this ambitious project.
    
    The Cascade was reconstructed and rebuilt during 1997 and was officially opened on Sunday 26 October 1997 by Mr Rob Macellan, Minister for Planning and Local Government.

    The area historically known as Commissioners Gully, bound by Barnard and View Streets and Park and Gaol Roads, is listed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory (H7724-0263) for its potential to contain artefacts and deposits relating to the use of the former Government Camp during the gold rush in the mid-1800s. The Gulley may also produce artefacts relating to gold mining activities in the area. In 1874, two large ponds were created in the area to the northern end of the Park, Aside from the ponds, the use of the land for recreational purposes is unlikely to have extensively altered the below-ground component of the site.

    
    1881 - 1901
    Three iron bridges were erected across the creek in 1882, the Conservatory Gardens laid out in 1886 and a conservatory erected in 1897. Developments in the 20th century included the erection of the former Garden Gully Mining Company poppet legs on the summit of Camp Hill (1931) and a number of small community buildings (which were removed following the recommendations of the Rosalind Park Redevelopment Plan in 1995). Rosalind Park was enlarged in 1881 when land facing Pall Mall was included in the park. There had been various unsuccessful proposals to subdivide and sell this land but the colonial government finally reserved portions for the Post Office (1887) and Court House (1890).
    

    By the end of the 19th century the 66 acre camp consisted of a police barracks, courthouse, gold office, gaol and lock-up, powder magazine (Queen Elizabeth Oval House), commissariat store, stables, superintendent's and resident warden's offices and quarters, and other associated buildings.

    
    The Conservatory Gardens
    The area now known as Conservatory Gardens, was left largely undeveloped until 1886 when it was laid out by the curator, Samuel Gadd, on land that had been previously been used as a rubbish tip. The conservatory was erected in 1897 and was the first prefabricated building in Bendigo. Curator Gadd and the City surveyor, George Minto are credited with the design and Frank M. Brown was responsible for the fabrication at a cost of £216. Mr Brown's name can be found on the iron pillars.
    
    To link the new section of the park with the Pall Mall frontage, three iron bridges were erected in 1882, replacing earlier and far narrower structures that can be seen in the 1875 Caire photographs. In 1901 the sporting facilities developing along Barnard Street were boosted by the construction of the present grandstand at Queen Elizabeth Oval.

    
    1901 - 1997
    The Queen Victoria Gardens adjacent to View Point were developed and Memorial Hall was erected in 1921. A red brick bungalow style ladies rest room was constructed at the View Point corner of the gardens between 1925-1930. Apart from the provision of sporting facilities along Barnard Street, there were few further incursions into Rosalind Park until after World War II. Poppet Legs from the Garden Gully United Gold Mining Company were erected on the summit of Camp Hill in April 1931 and these now serve as a lookout. A baby health care centre designed by Public Works architect, Percy Everett, and opened by the Mayor, Cr J. A. Michelsen on 8 April 1936, was erected opposite View Point near the ladies rest room. Nearby a cream brick tourist information centre known as the Pethard Building opened in 1941 on the site of a former tramways office. In 1952 land for a creche and day nursery was reserved near the baby health care building. Architects Eggleston MacDonald & Secomb were commissioned to design the premises in 1957. Constructed on bridge principles, the strikingly modern building had a triangular plan and featured exposed steel bracing set in panels. A sound shell was erected in the lower reserve in 1955/1957.
    
    Restoration works to the Conservatory Gardens to the cost of $54,000 were undertaken in 1978 by Bob Hodges with brickwork by George Robinson.
    
    In 1990 a large area of the park was asphalted to form a carpark and the ensuing controversy resulted in the commissioning of a conservation analysis of Rosalind Park and View Street.
    
    In 1996 the creche, baby health care, tourist and ladies rest room buildings were demolished by the council under the 1995 redevelopment plan for Rosalind Park. The creche was relocated to another location.
    
    In February 1997 two cannons were discovered in Rosalind Park by workers excavating the cascades. Markings on the cannons suggest they originally came from the 48-gun steam warship HMVS Nelson late last century. They were rifle muzzle 64-pounders weighing about three tonnes each.
    
    DESCRIPTION OF PLACE:
    
    The registration for Rosalind Park has many components of which the following are the most significant: Conservatory Gardens, Queen Elizabeth House, areas of archaeological potential in the park, Queen Victoria Gardens (both on the east side), upper reserve known as Camp Hill, and the lower reserve which includes the fernery and other landscape elements.

    
    The park has several major entrances: from View Point, Williamson Street, Bull Street, Bridge Street, Park Road, Barnard Street and View Street. Some entrances lead to specific facilities (such as those along Barnard Street), some are subsidiary gates, but those to View Point and Pall Mall are formal entry points and link with the early path layout of the park. The park is bounded by several highly significant buildings notably the post office, court house, Sandhurst Club, art gallery, returned soldiers building and Sandhurst Trustees offices.
    
    The Conservatory Gardens and Queen Victoria Gardens form discrete yet integral parts of Rosalind Park. The Conservatory Gardens are fenced with a decorative iron fence and a row of Washingtonia filifera palms line the Bull Street and Pall Mall boundaries. The area is given over to lawns with floral bedding and is dominated by a large glazed conservatory with decorative roofline. This is located adjacent to the Bendigo Creek and a gate leads from the Conservatory Gardens to a footbridge linking with the lower section of Rosalind Park.
    
    Queen Victoria Gardens (at the southern end of Rosalind Park) provide a balance to the Conservatory Gardens (at the northern end of Rosalind Park), and the two gardens form a fine group with the law courts and post office on Pall Mall. Queen Victoria Gardens have a simple path layout which centres on a large statue of Queen Victoria and the garden is largely given over to lawn and floral beds, notably a large display of cannas. The RSL Memorial Hall is located in the northern section of this garden and its elevated bandstand is an unusual example of this building type. Until recently the area had several buildings of relatively recent date including the creche (suspended over Bendigo Creek), health centre, tourist kiosk and public toilets (in the centre of Williamson Street). Like Conservatory Gardens, Queen Victoria Gardens are enclosed with a substantial and decorative iron fence. They also have a fine view over Charing Cross and View Point.
    
    The lower reserve of Rosalind Park is more easily approached from View Point or from footbridges from Pall Mall. The area is flat and paths criss-cross the area with a fine avenue of Pinus canariensis, elms and oaks. The area is mainly grassed and mature specimen trees such as Bunya Bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii) dot the lawn. This part of the park is bounded by Bendigo Creek (currently screened by hydrangeas), the fernery, the escarpment of Camp Hill and the back of several buildings in View Street. A sound shell (1955/57) is located against the escarpment and several drinking fountains dot the paths.
    
    The fernery is situated on ground which was once a bend in the Bendigo Creek. This billabong has been levelled and transformed into a large open air fernery where mature trees provide a canopy of shade for the more tender ferns. The path layout leads the visitor through a circuitous route with small bridges crossing concrete lined channels. The area has a luxuriant character, especially compared with the rest of the gardens, and vegetation comprises largely of tree ferns such as Dicksonia, Cyathea and ground ferns, Butia and Trachycarpus palms, cordylines (specifically C. terminalis and C. australis), a large Eucalyptus botroides (Southern mahogany Gum) and a Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red Gum), and screened by Pittosporum undulatum (Sweet Pittosporum).
    
    The upper reserve, known as Camp Hill, forms a stark contrast to the lower reserve. Camp Hill is dry rocky land, with specimen tree plantings including stunted Jubaea chilensis, Brachychiton rupestris and Prunus ilicifolia and the remnants of clumped plantings of species such as Agave americana. The area is dominated by the poppet legs of the former Garden Gully United Mine (relocated here in 1931) which stand between the buildings in View Street and the government buildings in the centre of Rosalind Park. The remains of a nineteenth fountain can still be seen on the main path leading from the lower reserve. The early path system in this area still retains its brick spoon drains. This area has a lower maintenance level than other parts of the park and this heightens the contrast between this upper reserve and the greenery of the lower reserve and fernery. To the north of the poppet legs is an early brick building, probably erected by the Victorian colonial government in the 1850s and now used by the garden staff. This area has recently been covered with a large asphalted carpark which leads to Queen Elizabeth Oval and is entered from View Street.
    
    The land parallel to Barnard Street historically known as Commissioner's Gully is given over to sporting facilities (and outside this registration), with the Queen Elizabeth Oval (at the corner of View Street) and its impressive grandstand (1901) forming the focus. One of the ponds shown in the 1874 plan has been converted to a swimming pool. The second, and larger, pond further north has retained much of its early character. The Agricultural Show Yard (bounded by Barnard Street, Park Road, Bridge Lane and Water Street) contains an early grandstand but is largely cleared. It contains the site of Bendigo's earliest cemetery.

    
    LIST OF FEATURES IN ROSALIND PARK
    
    Conservatory Gardens and Pall Mall
    
    The Conservatory
    Built in 1898, the conservatory is rectangular in shape. It has a cast iron framework from the foundry of F. M. Brown in Creek Street, Bendigo. Evidence of the maker?s mark can be seen imprinted in the iron door surrounds. Entry to the building is through double doors located at the north and south gable ends of the structure. A series of narrow Corinthian-capital pilasters run around the exterior. A gabled clerestory extends along the roof ridge line and is surmounted by a pavilion-shaped ventilator. Both the clerestory gables and central ventilator have decorative finials. The interior of the structure has curved iron trusses. Flower pot benches would have once lined either side of the internal walls. By 1981 the structure had decayed to the extent that demolition was contemplated. However, the iron work was still in good order. A decision was made to replace the woodwork and restore other parts of the structure. Alongside stand two cast iron benches designed in 1980 by Bill Delecca and cast at Golden City Implements foundry. They commemorate the passing of Amy Huxtable, local writer and loyal Bendigonian.
    
    The Queen Elizabeth Oval House is one of the oldest surviving Government Camp structures in the park. The House was constructed in 1857 as a powder magazine as part of a colonial Government initiative to replace temporary camp structures with permanent buildings. In 1864 the House, constructed of locally made brick and sandstone sourced from the nearby Ironbark Ranges, was converted into a residence for the first curator of Rosalind Park, George Brown. The House became a caretaker's residence in 1909.

    Rosalind Park is of archaeological significance for its potential to contain artefacts and deposits associated with the occupation and use as the former Government Camp Precinct during the gold rush in the mid-1800s. It is likely that some archaeological remains and deposits exist, including building remains, cess pits, and rubbish dumps, directly associated with the Government Camp buildings.

    Statues

    Daphne - white marble nude, set on a black and white marble base. Sculpted by British artist, Marshall Wood in 1871. Wood, a conservative sculptor died in 1882. He had visited Australia the previous year to erect his marble sculpture of Queen Victoria which had been commissioned by the Victorian Government in 1876. ?Daphne? was originally owned by the National Gallery of Victoria, and will soon be transferred to Bendigo Art Gallery as the statue was not commissioned for an outdoor setting. Surface is becoming chalky and discoloured.
    
    George V - bronze sculpture, mounted against a sandstone wall on a sandstone plinth. The figure stands with one foot forward and with hands clasped in front holding a sword pointing down to the ground. He wears an overcoat and Admiral-style hat. The monument faces south and there is a marble plaque with engraving highlighted with bronze paint. Sculpted by Viennese artist John Elischer in 1938. Elischer was born in Vienna in 1891 and died in 1966. He trained in a number of European countries and was the winner of various prizes. He arrived in Australia in 1935 and continued to produce sculpture, but worked as an industrial designer. He designed numerous war memorials in Europe. It is the only known sculpture by this artist in Victoria.
    
    Venus - white marble nude with sheet partially covering her body. One foot is placed forward and one hand is placed on her breast. Her head is turned to one side. South facing, the figure is set on pink granite plinth. A small decorative box sits at her feet behind the sheet. Sculpted by Melbourne artist, Charles Francis Summers in 1901. It is a minor work by an important artist who worked on several public commissions. The work was the gift of Mr W. Hunter.
    
    Mayor Harness Sculpture - Man Fighting Wild Animals - metal sculpture, painted white, depicts a man wearing an animal fur loin cloth fighting a wolf and a large wild cat. It is set on a plinth that has a polished granite plaque on the front (west) face. The work dates from about 1899, the artist is unknown.
    
    Inner Wheel Club of Bendigo Sundial - a bronze sundial set on a concrete fluted column with 2 bronze plaques at the base. Dated 1983. Plaque reads Presented by the Inner Wheel Club of Bendigo to commemorate their Golden Jubilee 1933-1983. Imitate the sundial's ways count only the pleasant days.
    
    Discovery of Gold Monument - white marble sculptural group of a man panning for gold and a woman standing behind him pointing to the pan. The sculpture is supported by a light grey marble plinth featuring a bronze lyrebird on each corner and a decorative scroll on the front and back. The plinth is supported by a 3-step bluestone base. Sculpted by Charles Douglas Richardson, the work dates from 1901-1906. It was erected by the committee of the Victorian Gold Jubilee Exhibition held in 1901/2. English-born in 1853, Richardson arrived at Portland in 1858 and died in Melbourne in 1932. He worked on several public commissions.
    
    Bendigo War Obelisk - light grey granite obelisk on 3-step grey granite base. Featuring inscriptions, it was erected by the citizens of Bendigo District. It is a tribute to the men and women of all wars.
    
    George Lansell Monument - large bronze statue of Lansell with leg bent and holding a block of quartz. Set on a large granite plinth and 2-step base. Front has polished granite plaque with inscriptions. Other 3 sides feature bronze relief sculptures depicting the gold rush. The reliefs were sculpted by Jas White, who may also have been responsible for the statue. Dates from after 1906.
    
    The lower park (Rosalind Park)
    
    The Bendigo Creek Channel
    Bendigo Creek was rushed for alluvial gold in 1851-2, and was re-worked by miners from 1854. Sludge channels had to be created and re-created, eventuating in a Royal Commission?s recommendations in 1858 to construct a timber box-drain along the re-aligned Bendigo Creek. The channel was completed in the early 1860s. In order to improve channel drainage, the section of the creek running through central Bendigo was widened, the gutter lined with flagstones, both sides walled with stone, and new bridges installed. This artefact symbolises the civilising nature of gold and is significant as an example of late nineteenth century public infrastructure development.
    
    James Curnow Memorial Fountain - made of narrow, textured orange and brown bricks. On the front there is a relief sculpture of Mr Curnow and a plaque (both in bronze). On the side there is a relief sculpture of a girl, on the other side a relief sculpture of a boy. The drinking fountains have concrete bowls and modern drinking bubblers. The date in unknown, but appears to be inter-war.
    
    Ernest Mueller Bust - bronze bust of a man with full beard. The bust is mounted on a grey granite plinth with polished front piece with inscriptions. The rest of the granite plinth is unpolished. The maker is unknown. It is dated c.1910. Mueller b.1832 d.1910. The bust was erected by the citizens of Bendigo.
    
    Queen Victoria Monument - Very large white marble sculpture. In a standing position, the Queen holds a sceptre in one hand and a dove in the other. The sculpture is mounted on a large bronze and granite plinth and base, with heavy bronze detailing including a large bronze lion lying at the base of the plinth. Decorative ship sterns in bronze protrude from the bronze cap on the plinth. The work was sculpted by James White in 1903. Moves to erect a monument to Queen Victoria began with her diamond jubilee in 1897. A public subscription was resurrected after her death. It was unveiled on 14.4.1903. White was born at Edinburgh in 1862 and arrived in Australia in 1888. He died in Brisbane in 1918 after completing a number of commissions across Australia.
    
    Nude with Snake - marble nude of a woman with long hair. Her arm rests on a stump around which a snake coils. The sculptor is P. McDowell, the date is unknown.
    
    Sir John Quick Bust - Bronze bust of a man set on white marble. It has a 3-tiered granite base. The artist is John Walker (1879-1955), and the date of the work is 1934. John Quick was a leader of the Federation League. He worked as a newspaper reporter for both the Bendigo Independent, the Bendigo Advertiser, and the Age, and completed a law degree at Melbourne University. He was admitted to the bar and conferred with a doctorate of laws and returned to Bendigo throwing himself wholeheartedly into the Federation campaign. Bendigo voted 95% in favour of the constitution and Federation. Quick went on to become the first Federal representative for Bendigo. The only other public works by this artist are found in Bendigo.
    
    
    COMPARISON:
    
    Large Public Gardens
    Comparative examples of large public gardens in Victoria include Johnstone Park and Eastern Park, Geelong; Ballarat Botanic Gardens; Lake Wendouree; Castlemaine Botanical Gardens; Princess Park and Citizens Park Queenscliff; Town Hall Gardens, Beechworth; and Victoria Park, Ballarat. Special points of interest in Rosalind Park include an interface with urban areas and significant streetscapes, most notably Pall Mall, View Street, and Barnard Street. This aspect is unrivalled amongst other Victorian public gardens and perhaps the only real comparison can be with Johnstone Park, Geelong. Rosalind Park exhibits contrast between the intensive horticulture of the conservatory to the more casual character of Camp Hill; this is a feature of many large public gardens such as Eastern Park or Castlemaine Botanic Gardens. Rosalind Park also exhibits differing horticultural features such as parkland, fernery, conservatory, floral bedding, turf and statuary.
    
    
    Conservatories
    Fitzroy Gardens. Opened 1930. Designed in Spanish Mission style.
    Ballarat Botanic Gardens Begonia House). Constructed 1995.
    (Display House). 1920
    Eureka Park, Ballarat (Display House). 1930s
    Central Park, Malvern Conservatory erected 1927
    
    Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne once had a collection of nineteenth /early twentieth century conservatories, and many smaller suburban public gardens frequently also featured conservatories. For example Queen's Park, Essendon had a conservatory with an ogee-shaped roof, dating from early this century.
    
    The conservatory at Rosalind Park is the only such structure from this period to survive in a public garden or park.

    Other related registrations

    The original Government Camp Precinct, bound by View Street, Pall Mall, Bridge Street, Park Road and Barnard Street, also includes the following individual Victorian Heritage Register places: Old Police Barracks (H0545), built in 1860; Former Supreme Court (H1465), built in 1857; HM Prison Bendigo (H1550), built in 1861; and Camp Hill Central School Number 1976 (H1642), built in 1877.

    Plaque Citation

    ROSALIND PARK - Plaque Citation

    Named after a character in Shakepeare's As You Like It, the park was established as a recreation reserve in 1861 on the site of the earlier goldfields Government Camp.

    Permit Exemptions

    ROSALIND PARK - Permit Exemptions

    General Exemptions:

    General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

    Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

    Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

    Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

    Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

    Specific Exemptions:

    General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface component. General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and plan endorsed by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it. Note: The existence of a Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage Action Plan endorsed by the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria provides guidance for the management of the heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain works specified in the management plan. General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable. Regular Site Maintenance : The following site maintenance works are permit exempt under section 66 of the Heritage Act 1995: a) regular site maintenance provided the works do not involve the removal or destruction of any significant above-ground features or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or deposits; b) the maintenance of an item to retain its conditions or operation without the removal of or damage to the existing fabric or the introduction of new materials; c) cleaning including the removal of surface deposits, organic growths, or graffiti by the use of low pressure water and natural detergents and mild brushing and scrubbing; d) repairs, conservation and maintenance to plaques, memorials, roads and paths, fences and gates and drainage and irrigation. e) the replacement of existing services such as cabling, plumbing, wiring and fire services that uses existing routes, conduits or voids, and does not involve damage to or the removal of significant fabric. Note: Surface patina which has developed on the fabric may be an important part of the item's significance and if so needs to be preserved during maintenance and cleaning. Note: Any new materials used for repair must not exacerbate the decay of existing fabric due to chemical incompatibility, obscure existing fabric or limit access to existing fabric for future maintenance. Repair must maximise protection and retention of fabric and include the conservation of existing details or elements. Fire Suppression Duties : The following fire suppression duties are permit exempt under section 66 of the Heritage Act 1995, a) Fire suppression and fire fighting duties provided the works do not involve the removal or destruction of any significant above-ground features or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or deposits; b) Fire suppression activities such as fuel reduction burns, and fire control line construction, provided all significant historical and archaeological features are appropriately recognised and protected; Note: Fire management authorities should be aware of the location, extent and significance of historical and archaeological places when developing fire suppression and fire fighting strategies. The importance of places listed in the Heritage Register must be considered when strategies for fire suppression and management are being developed. Weed and Vermin Control : The following weed and vermin control activities are permit exempt under section 66 of the Heritage Act 1995, a) Weed and vermin control activities provided the works do not involve the removal or destruction of any significant above-ground features or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or deposits; Note: Particular care must be taken with weed and vermin control works where such activities may have a detrimental affect on the significant fabric of a place. Such works may include the removal of ivy, moss or lichen from an historic structure or feature, or the removal of burrows from a site that has archaeological values.

    Landscape Maintenance: The following landscape maintenance works are permit exempt under section 66 of the Heritage Act 1995, a) the process of gardening, mowing, hedge clipping, bedding displays, removal of dead plants and replanting same species, disease, vermin and weed control, emergency and safety works and minor landscaping works to maintain the garden landscape; b) removal of dead and dangerous trees which requires a list and plan to be submitted to the Executive Director; c) removal of vegetation, fallen timber and fuel reduction as part of an agreed Fire Management Plan. Note that the Vegetation Clearance Amendment VC61 (known as the 10/30 rule) does not apply to places on the Heritage Register and a permit is required from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria; d) replanting like tree species to conserve the landscape character, conifer, elm, oak, and shrub plantings provided a list and plan is submitted to the Executive Director for approval; e) management of trees in accordance with Australian Standard: Pruning of amenity trees AS 4373; f) removal of plants listed as Prohibited and Controlled Weeds in the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994; and g) repairs, conservation and maintenance to hard landscape elements, paths and roadways, stone and concrete edging, walls, fences and gates.

    Public Safety and Security : The following public safety and security activities are permit exempt under section 66 of the Heritage Act 1995, a) public safety and security activities provided the works do not involve the removal or destruction of any significant above-ground structures or sub-surface archaeological artefacts or deposits; b) the erection of temporary security fencing, scaffolding, hoardings or surveillance systems to prevent unauthorised access or secure public safety which will not adversely affect significant fabric of the place including archaeological features; c) development including emergency stabilisation necessary to secure safety where a site feature has been irreparably damaged or destabilised and represents a safety risk to its users or the public. Note: Urgent or emergency site works are to be undertaken by an appropriately qualified specialist such as a structural engineer, or other heritage professional.

    Permit Exemption Policy

    ROSALIND PARK - Permit Exemption Policy

    Permit Policy

    The purpose of the Permit Policy is to assist when considering or making decisions regarding works to the place. It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of Heritage Victoria prior to being undertaken or submission of a permit application. This can include proposed works to buildings identified within Rosalind Park registration which may affect the cultural heritage significance of the place.

    The significance of Rosalind Park includes its potential to contain historical archaeological material. It is likely that a permit will be required for any works that may involve the disturbance of the ground or sub-surface component of the site.

    Discussing any proposed works will assist in answering any questions the owner may have and aid any decisions regarding works to the place. It is recommended that a Conservation Management Plan is undertaken to assist with the future management of the cultural significance of the place.

• Attachments
  • Plan of Rosalind Park from 1909
    
• Location map
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