Ceremonial Spades
Unlocking the gates
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Unlocking the gates
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Sandringham Gardens in Sydney's Hyde Park North were developed
to commemorate the intended visit in 1952 of King George VI. The
memorial was designed as a sunken garden with a reflecting pool
partly enclosed by a pergola, and its association with the King’s
home at Sandringham, Norfolk, England was to be marked by the a
gift of 12 oak and elm trees. Due to the sudden death of the King,
the Royal Tour was cancelled and plans for the garden were suspended.
In 1953, it was decided to dedicate the gardens as a joint memorial
to the late King George V and the late King George VI. The memorial
gates to Sandringham Gardens were unlocked on 5 February 1954 by
the late King George VI's daughter, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
II, using a ceremonial key designed to incorporate the mural crown
from the city's coat of arms.
(Image: Ceremonial key used by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, February 1954, STHC 04-051)
When is a spade not a spade
Later that day,
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
planted memorial trees in Macquarie Place, Sydney at the
commencement of a remembrance driveway between Sydney and
Canberra. The avenue of trees, inaugurated in 1953 by the
Garden Club of Australia was conceived as a national memorial
to the men and women who served in the Australian Armed Forces
during World War II. Each tree honoured a service person
and some were affixed with a plaque in their memory. On 10
February during their visit to Canberra, the royal couple
planted trees (snow gums) at the Australian War Memorial.
It was intended that a variety of trees would be planted
along the route between Sydney and Canberra, according to
local soil and climatic conditions. Plane trees were planted
in Sydney using the ceremonial spades, made by Angus and
Coote, Sydney.
(Image: Commemorative spade used by
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Macquarie Place, Sydney,
1954, STHC 99-093) |
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Sydney's garden trophy
In 1958, Sydney
City Council was awarded the Sydney Morning Herald's Metropolitan
Garden Competition Trophy, 2nd Prize for the Public Parks
Section for Sandringham Gardens. The gardens
were designed by Sydney architect Dr Epstein and sculptor
Lyndon Dodswell and paid for by public subscription and the
NSW Government, as a joint memorial to the late King George
V and King George VI. The gardens, which feature memorial
gates, pathways, pergola, steps, ornamental lamp standards
and a fountain, continue to provide a colourful spring highlight
in the centre of the city.
(Image: Sydney Morning Herald Garden
Trophy, 1958, STHC 88-122) |
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