Activity Point 4 - Historic Flora
In this section we will discover how the varied flora of the Park has developed over time. Using historic photographs and postcards, we will track the planting and growth of various trees, shrubs and bushes, watching them develop over time to what we see today.
Photograph 1: c. 1907 during setting out and planting
Photograph 2: c. 1908 Planting completed around the bandstand. Note double ring of tree/shrub planting around the bandstand and holly trees flanking the path to the steps. The Evergreen Oak and Turners Oak not yet planted on the cross path.
Photograph 3: c. 1908 showing the upper beds sparsely planted with mixed shrubs including roses and brooms
Photograph 4: c. 1908 - the park is clearly popular for social gatherings. Note the ‘state of the art’ bicycles and the popularity of sitting on the grass, including at the scoops in the margins of the upper shrub beds.
Photograph 5: c. 1910, view from lower garden area, Queen Street side. 3 grafted/top worked trees flanking lower lawn. Middle cross path planted with shrubs, no rose arch in place. Kidney shaped bed above bandstand cross path on Princes street side planted.
Photograph 6: completed park c. 1910. Note kidney beds above and tree planting flanking the bandstand and bandstand cross path; Tree planting and shrubs along lower cross path prior to insertion of rose arbour. Note also large mature trees (beech and elm) on Queen Street boundary suggesting that these were in place prior to the creation of the park.
Photograph 7: c. 1910 - Similar viewpoint to Photograph 5.
Photograph 8: postcard c. 1910 showing low shrub planting flanking either side of the steps in the upper garden segment. Unclear as to whether Evergreen oak and Turners oak yet planted.
Photograph 9: c. 1910 the park being used for a concert. Note standard white rose beside path in the immediate foreground.
Photograph 10: Postcard, c. 1910 (or earlier?). Note the long grass with daisies adding a sense of informality. The perimeter bed on Queens Street richly planted with a diversity of shrubs under mature trees.
Photograph 11: Postcard, c. 1910. View from corner entrance off Queen Street. Phormium in corner of perimeter bed; corner of main planting beds possibly with flowering cherry underplanted with smaller shrubs. Beds with wide turfed margins.
Photograph 12: Postcard, c. 1910-12. View from top of garden at corner of Princes Street. Note perimeter bed on Princes Street side possibly with shrub roses, and no apparent tree planting within the bed. Lime trees planted in road outside the park. Also note the shaped margin of the central shrub bed. Cherry Tree in corner of top perimeter bed on Great Georges Street.
Photograph 13: c. 1920. Note glazing gone from bandstand, and losses in surrounding tree planting. Upper shrub borders have matured, with Cordyline australis and Olearia macrodonta in flower, and young cherry (possibly top grafted subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’).
Photograph 14: c. 1920 Central cross path with shrub roses. Evergreen & Turners Oak perhaps a little smaller than in photograph 15.
Photograph 15: c. 1920, central cross path with rustic timber rose arch planted with roses on four corners, row of white flowering edge plants.
Photograph 16: c. 1925 evergreen Oak and Turners Oak on bandstand cross path now clearly established. Also Limes in circle around bandstand. Mixed shrub beds in upper section now substantial.
Photograph 17: Gala event c. 1925. Glass screens restored in bandstand. Possible rose arbour constructed behind bandstand on the middle cross path; and double tennis courts marks out. Planting in upper shrub beds now very mature, with cordylines having a clear trunk, Phormium also evident. New tree planting around bandstand.
Photograph 18: c. 1930, central cross path borders with trees (cherry or elm), shrubs and herbaceous. No obvious rose plants. Broad grass path margins.
Photograph 19: postcard titled ‘Rose Walk’ c. 1930, central cross path and rose arch. Trees larger than in photograph 20, looking more like elm or other small-leaved species. Mixture of shrub and herbaceous planting.
Photograph 20: c.1930 looking across the lower segment towards Princes Street. Difficult to deduce whether the trees are sweet chestnut or lime trees in street planting. Two tennis courts on the south side.
Photograph 21: c. 1930, tennis courts and Princes Street perimeter border, with richly developed mixed shrub plantings.
Photograph 22: Postcard, c. 1935, tennis courts now fenced. Large trees on corner of Queen street visible over the Bandstand.
Photograph 23: c. 1940 enclosed by high wire fencing, looking in dilapidated condition. Perimeter borders next to Princes Street now very large.
Photograph 24: c. 1960’s, glass screens in bandstand gone. Ring of pollard limes (3 in each quarter) around bandstand mature. Evergreen Oak tightly clipped on left side of image. Cherry tree in mixed shrub border near steps on right side of image.
Photograph 25: c. 1960. Tennis court and play area tarmacked. Winter view suggesting that the perimeter shrub borders now reduced and dominated by trees.
Photograph 26: c. 1970s, park heavily used, with swings and hard surfacing at Seaview gates end. Lower cross path roundel is a raised bed. No tree planting, or planting of any type at Seaview Gates.
Photograph 27: c. 1970-80 New Rose arch made of sawn timber replacing the original rustic arch with more oriental appearance. Shrub and tree plantings on the central cross path removed and replanted with roses. Island rose bed flanking north side of central path to bandstand.
Photograph 28: c. 1990-2000. New rose arch in rustic timber. Central path from rose arch to bandstand with beds of salmon coloured rose bushes on both sides. Cross path borders with bedding plants. Perimeter beds on Princes Street side, now with mature trees and heavily shaded.
Photograph 29: c. 2000 central path with rose beds between rose arch and bandstand. Salmon-yellow bush roses and standard roses.
Special thanks to Old Warrenpoint Forum for their contribution.
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