With CAROLE DOYLE
The Cowra Hospital Memorial Rose Garden, first opened on Saturday, 11 October 2008, has been lovingly relocated to the Cowra Cemetery, ensuring its legacy continues for future generations.
The garden was originally established to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Cowra Hospital in 1958. It also paid tribute to those who contributed to the hospital’s history, including the late Mrs. Mary Purcell, daughter of the late Mayor Mark Whitby - a strong advocate for a new hospital in the 1950s.
The project was led by former Nursing Unit Manager of Cowra Maternity, Joan Hurst, who later worked in Nursing Administration. She was joined by a dedicated team including Wendy Hyde, Jeannie McLaren, Carole Doyle, Aileen Ferguson, Beverly Lazarou, and Kathy Day. Funding came from committee members, nursing and medical staff, community donations, and generous sponsorships from Cowra families who wished to honour loved ones with a rose or a name on the large memorial plaque. The plaque is set into a stone sculpture by Ken Hutchinson.
A trellis was donated by the late Tom Chapman and Dawn McKay, and the garden was carefully maintained over the years by Cowra Hospital gardener Dave O’Donnell, along with the committee and helpers.
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In 2021, the committee - represented by Wendy Hyde and Carole Doyle - was informed that the memorial rose garden would need to be moved to make way for the construction of the new Cowra Hospital. After meetings with the new hospital’s infrastructure team, led by Anabel Dunlop, and Cowra Council’s infrastructure leaders Phillipa Childs and Peter Taylor, it was agreed that the garden would be relocated to the Cowra Cemetery.
The move took place in July 2022, involving the careful removal of 60 roses, headstones, plaques, and sculptured stones. The work was carried out with great care and dignity by Wendy Hyde, Carole Doyle, Helen Isaksen, Ken Hutchinson, Cowra Cement Works, Les “Cobar” Houghton, Dave from Cowra Turf, Peter Taylor, and the dedicated Cowra Council workers. Today, the site at the cemetery is home to around 70 roses.
Adding to the garden’s beauty is a striking “Mother and Baby” sculpture, commissioned 20 years ago by then NUM of Cowra Maternity, Joan Hurst, and crafted by Ken Hutchinson. After being displayed in Ms. Hurst’s own garden for many years, she has generously donated it to the Memorial Rose Garden, where it now takes pride of place overlooking the roses.
