Beatrice Bligh
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Rosemary Beatrice Bligh (; 27 September 1916 – 18 January 1973) was an Australian
gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...
and writer. Credited as an important influence on Australian gardening by the
Australian Garden History Society The Australian Garden History Society (AGHS) is an Australian history society dedicated to the study of Australian garden history and the conservation of significant landscapes and historic gardens. It was formed in 1980. There are AGHS branche ...
, her garden in the
Southern Tablelands The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of New South Wales, Australia, located south-west of Sydney and generally west of the Great Dividing Range. The area is characterised by high, flat country which has generally been extensively cl ...
won ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' 1965 garden competition.


Biography

Rosemary Beatrice Gordon was born on 27 September 1916 in the Edgecliff neighborhood of
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
. She was the third of five children of grazier James Henry Forbes Gordon and his wife Gladys Noel Lydia Bowker. She was educated at the
Ascham School Ascham School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for girls, located in Edgecliff, an Eastern Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1886, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and c ...
in Sydney and the
Frensham School Frensham School is an independent non-denominational comprehensive single-sex preschool, primary, and secondary day and boarding school for girls, located at Mittagong, in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Australia. Es ...
in
Mittagong Mittagong () is a town located in the Southern Highlands (New South Wales), Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. The town acts as the gateway to the Southern Highlands when coming from Sydney. Mittagong is si ...
. On 1 March 1941, she married Francis Leonard Bligh, a grazier and
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
flying officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...
, at the St Philip's Anglican Church in
Bungendore Bungendore is a town in the Queanbeyan Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. It is on the Kings Highway, Australia, Kings Highway near Lake George, New South Wales, Lake George, the Molonglo River Valle ...
. They had four children together. Bligh moved to her husband's farm at Pejar Park near
Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, approximately south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters patent by Queen Victor ...
. She managed the property while he was serving in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Inspired by her grandfather's garden in Braidwood and by
Edna Walling Edna Margaret Walling (4 December 1895 – 8 August 1973) was one of Australia's most influential landscape designers. Early years and migration Walling was born in Yorkshire and grew up in the village of Bickleigh in Devon, England, sec ...
, Bligh decided to create a garden at Pejar Park. Though the local terrain made gardening difficult, Bligh worked on it with minimal assistance. She began the garden using plants donated by
Winifred West Winifred Mary West CBE (21 December 1881 – 26 September 1971) was an English-born Australian educationist. Early life and education Born at Frensham in Surrey to schoolmaster Charles William West and Fanny, ''née'' Sturt, West spent ...
, and she later became skilled at collecting and cultivating wild plants. The garden was described as a "garden of surprises" by the ''
Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...
'', and featured " shady trees, smooth, weed-free lawns, raised beds filled with hardy
perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
s, a long, white wall with
espalier Espalier ( or ) is the horticulture, horticultural and ancient Agriculture, agricultural practice of controlling woody plant growth for the production of fruit, by pruning and tying branches to a frame. Plants are frequently shaped in formal patt ...
ed apples and pears, a wistaria-covered
pergola A pergola is most commonly used as an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support crossbeams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are t ...
, a separate vegetable garden and a
willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...
-shaded pool". In 1965, it won first place in ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' garden competition, and placed highly in future competitions. In 1968, Bligh wrote the book ''Down to Earth'', which provided guidance and outlined her experiences with creating a garden in the
Southern Tablelands The Southern Tablelands is a geographic area of New South Wales, Australia, located south-west of Sydney and generally west of the Great Dividing Range. The area is characterised by high, flat country which has generally been extensively cl ...
. She also studied gardens in dry areas similar to the region, including Spain, India, and Iran. In 1973, she wrote ''Cherish the Earth'', which documented the history of gardening in Australia. According to the
Australian Garden History Society The Australian Garden History Society (AGHS) is an Australian history society dedicated to the study of Australian garden history and the conservation of significant landscapes and historic gardens. It was formed in 1980. There are AGHS branche ...
, Bligh's books had a significant impact on gardening in Australia. Bligh died of cancer at the hospital in Goulburn on 18 January 1973. Bligh was a member of the gardening committee of the
National Trust of Australia (NSW) The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...
and was a fellow of the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
. She was also a member of the
Royal Sydney Golf Club Royal Sydney Golf Club is golf club in Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia, a suburb of Sydney. Founded in 1893, Royal Sydney is one of Australia's premier sporting and social clubs. It features an 18-hole Championship Course, a 9-hole Centen ...
and the
Ski Club of Australia The Ski Club of Australia is a private club and ski lodge located in Thredbo, New South Wales, Australia. It was founded in 1920 and as its foundation pre-dated the foundation of the Ski Council of New South Wales in 1929, it played a pivotal ro ...
.


Bibliography

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References


External links


Diagram
of Bligh's garden by ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Bligh, Beatrice 1916 births 1973 deaths Australian gardeners 20th-century Australian women writers Writers from New South Wales 20th-century Australian non-fiction writers Australian women non-fiction writers Australian nature writers People from the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) People from Goulburn National Trust of Australia (NSW) Royal Horticultural Society People educated at Ascham School People educated at Frensham School