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1. Whatisitthatissignificant?(e.g.whyisituniqueorthebestexampleofits
type)
Thehistoricredfloweringplants,locatedalongtheRedHillsummitridgeandits
uppereasternslope,thatareassociatedwithsignificanthistoryandhistorical
associationsasdescribed.
WalterBurleyGriffin(WBG)andMarionMahonyGriffin(MMG)arrivedinCanberra
in1914followingtheirsuccessin1912inwinningtheinternationalcompetitionto
plananddesignthefutureNationalCapital.
InherPhDthesis“AnAustralianBotanicalNarrative:APractice-LedEnquiryinto
RepresentationsofAustralianFloraontheCeramicVesselasanExpressionof
EnvironmentalCulture”,p114,April2015,MsCFranzinoted:
“In1913,whenWalterGriffinarrivedinCanberra“hequicklygrewenchanted
withthecountry’slandscapeandflora”(ChristopherVernon,"Visionofthe
Century:HowtheGriffinsPicturedAustralia'sCapital,"inAVisionSplendid:
HowtheGriffinsImaginedAustralia'sCapital,ed.NationalArchivesof
Australia,Canberra,2013,19)asdidhiswife,uponherarrival.Atthetime,
informationaboutAustralianplantswaslimited,andsoMarionMahony
Griffincompiledherownlists,colourcodedintobotanicalnotebooksasa
basisfortheplantings.(PapersofWalterBurleyGriffinandMarionMahony
collectedbyEricNicholls,1900-1947.NationalLibraryofAustralia,
Canberra).Theirideawastonameeachhillwiththecolourofflowering
plants,thusRosyHill(BlackMountain)plantedwithpinkandwhiteflowers,
GoldenHill(MtAinslie)withyellowflora,WhiteHill(MtMuggaMugga)with
whiteflowersandsilverfoliage,PurpleHill(MtPleasant)withpurpleflowers
andRedHillwithredflowers.(EricSparkeandACTAdministration(Australia).
CentralOffice.,Canberra1954-1980(Canberra:AustralianGovernment
PublishingService,1988).256)”
TheMMGdiarieslistredfloweringfloraasastartingpointforintroducingplantings
onRedHill.ItcanbeseenthatCallistemonlanceolatus,Grevillearosmarinfolia,and
Swainsoniagalexifolia(mostlikelySwainsonagalegifolia)wereallincludedinher
lists(Attachment1).
InNovember1916,CharlesWeston(ChiefAfforestationOffice,1913andfounder,
Actontemporarynursery1911)recordedaconversationwithWBGconcerningthe
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distinctiveplantingsonCanberra’shills,withRedHillhavingplantswithredflowers
andfoliage(CanberraandDistrictHistoricalSociety1911-1920GPMurphyp10,
ACTHeritageLibrary)(Attachment2).By1917mapsofRedHilldisplayeda
rectangularareareservedforredfloweringplants,wherehistoricCallistemonplants
canbefoundtoday,growinginclearlydefinedplantingrows(Attachment4).
PlantingswererecordedbyWestonon‘plantingcards’(whichweredigitisedin
2011),(“Nurserytalesforagardencity:thehistoricalcontextoftherecordsat
Canberra’sYarralumlaNursery”.LeonoreColtheart,2011,
(http://www.archives.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/560466/Nursery_Tal
es_for_a_Garden_City_by_Lenore_Coltheart.pdf).
AsearchoftheYarralumlaNursery‘plantingcards’
(http://www.archives.act.gov.au/publications/yarralumla-nursery-records)has
identifiedrecordsofseedpropagationandplantingonRedHillof3660Callistemon
lanceolatus(1917and1920),23Callistemonrigidus(1920)and825Callistemon
rugulosus(1920)(Attachment3).Note:Callistemonlanceolatus,C.rigidusandC.
RugulosusareallsynonymsofC.citrinus,thespecieswhichisnowpresentonRed
Hill.ThepossibilityofC.rugulosusbeingplantedonRedHillandthendyingout
cannotbecompletelydismissed.
Thereisnoavailableevidencefrom‘plantingcards’recordsofsystematicplantingof
GrevillearosmarinfoliaandSwainsoniaGalexifolia(orSwainsonagalegifolia),
despitetheirpresencetodayonthesummitofRedHill.Itshouldbenotedthatthe
summitofRedHillisanareawhereWestonwaschargedwithplantingredflowering
plants.TheGrevilleaplantingrowsarenolongervisibleowingtoacombinationof
overgrowthbyothertreesandshrubsandthehabitofmeatantsofspreadingthe
seeds,enablingplantstobecomeestablishedawayfromtheoriginalplantingarea
(Attachment4).NeitherGrevilleaRosmarinfolianorSwainsonagalegifoliaare
endemictothisarea,leadingtoareasonableassumptionthatthesewere
deliberatelyplantedinaccordancewithWBGandMMGwishes.
TheonlyotherlocationswheretheGriffin’svisionwasrealisedwereatMtMugga
Mugga,whereEucalyptuscinerea,E.pulverulentaandE.albens.wereplanted
(Franzi,C.p115),andatMtPleasant(“TCGWeston(1866-1935)Horticulturistand
Arboriculturist:.Acriticalreviewofhiscontributiontotheestablishmentofthe
landscapefoundationsofAustralia’sNationalCapital”.JEGray,Universityof
Canberra,1999.p90).
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Arecentcensus(March2017)ofthehistoricredfloweringplantsonRedHillplants
(Attachment5)indicatesthatthefollowingindividualplantswererecorded:
Callistemonlanceolatus:723
Grevillearosmarinfolia:1700
Swainsonagalegifolia:Lessthan6
Theaboveevidencedemonstratesthestrikinganduniquenatureofthe
Callistemon,GrevilleaandSwainsonaplantingsonRedHill,theirvisibilityand
accessibilitytothecommunity(unlikeMtMuggaMugga),andtheirhistorical
connectiontothewrittenwishesofWBGandMMGfortheCanberrahilltopstobe
propagatedwithplantswithspecificcolouredflowersandfoliage.
Inaddition,2017willbetheanniversaryofthecommencementoftherealisationof
thisproject,whenCharlesWestonplantedthefirstCallistemonlanceolatusonRed
Hillon20Juneand23October1917.
The1917plantingsarealsoamongsttheearliestexamplesoflandscaperestoration
plantingsinAustraliaandpre-emptwhatbecameaverypopularlandcare
movement50yearslater.
2. Towhomisitlikelyorknowntobesignificant?(e.g.aregionorgroupwithin
theACT,thewholeoftheACT,aspecificcommunity)
ThehistoricplantingsofredfloweringplantsonRedHillsummitisknownorlikelyto
beknowntobesignificanttotheACTAdministrationParksandConservation
Division,ACTHeritageLibrary,Canberra&DistrictHistoricalSociety*,National
ArchivesofAustralia,WalterBurleyGriffinSociety*,AustralianGardenHistory
Society*,NationalTrustofAustralia,InstituteofLandscapeArchitects*,Australia
ICOMOS*,RedHillRegenerationGroup*andresidents*,specialistsandvisitorsto
Canberra.
(Note:*indicateswherewrittensupportforthissubmissionhavebeenreceived)
ThehistoricCallistemonplantingsaredescribedinaninterpretivesigninstalledby
theACTAdministrationnearthesummitofRedHillin2014.Thesignstates:
“ThebottlebrushesthatwereplantedbelowaretheresultofWalterBurley
Griffin’slongstandinginterestincolourinthelandscape.ManyofCanberra’shills
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weredenudedforgrazing,soin1916,Canberra’sdesignerWalterBurleyGriffin,
directedthatthehillsshouldbereplantedaccordingtoamasscolourscheme–
yellowflowersandfoliageforMtAinslie,whiteandpinkflowersforBlack
Mountain,andwhiteflowersforMtMuggaMugga.Youcanguessthecolour
schemeforRedHill.Thebottlebrushesplantedherewereprobablyaninitialtrial
plot….”
3. Howandwhyitissignificant?(includinganexplanationforeachcriterion
ratedasHighorMeets)
(Note:CriteriaforHeritagesignificance:Eachcriteriashouldbeassignedoneofthe
followingassesment‘High’,‘Meets’,‘Notmet/NA’)
(a)itdemonstratesahighdegreeoftechnicalorcreativeachievement(orboth),by
showingqualitiesofinnovation,discovery,inventionoranexceptionallyfinelevelof
applicationofexistingtechniquesorapproaches;
Response:POSSIBLYNOTMET
TheCanberrahillplantingswhichwereinspiredbyWBGandMMG’s“grandvisionto
‘paint’thehillsofCanberraeachinasinglecolouroffloweringplants”(Franzip137),
demonstrateahighdegreeofcreativeachievmentbyrespondingtotheextensive
clearingwhichhaddegradedthehillsaroundCanberra.Franzi(p138)notedthat:
“AsbotanistAlanCunninghamhadimaginedninetyyearsearlier:“the
boundaryhills...[hadindeedfurnished]...thenecessarytimberforthe
constructionofhutsandsheepyardsofmagnitude”(SarahRyan,"Historyof
CanberraNaturePark:ReportfortheActCommissionerforSustainabilityand
theEnvironment,"(Canberra:OfficeoftheCommissionerforSustainability
andtheEnvironment,April2011).4)”.
TheGriffin’sreverencefornatureandappreciationofconservationinformedtheir
plan,andFranzi(p138)reportedthat:
“Canberrawastobe“acitydesignedtosuitthelandscape”(DavidFrickler,"A
VisionSplendid:HowtheGriffinsImaginedAustralia'sCapital,"ed.National
ArchivesofAustralia.(Canberra:NationalArchivesofAustralia,2013).3)and
wheretheysoughtto“unitenatureandculture.”(ChristopherVernon,"Vision
oftheCentury:HowtheGriffinsPicturedAustralia'sCapital,"inAVision
Splendid:HowtheGriffinsImaginedAustralia'sCapital,ed.NationalArchives
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ofAustralia.(Canberra:NationalArchivesofAustralia,2013).5)”
Thehillplantingswereauniqueresponsetotheenvironmental,conservationand
citydesignchallenges,resultingintheinnovativeplantingswhichwererealisedon
RedHillbyCharlesWestonusingexceptionalpropagationandplantingapproaches
whichhaveresultedinsurvivalforacentury.
TheplantingsareprobablyamongsttheearliestplantingsinAustraliathatwere
undertakenforthereasonoflandscaperestoration.Aninnovativeapproachto
environmentaldegradationthatbecameamainstreamactivityfiftyyearslater.
(b)itexhibitsoutstandingdesignoraestheticqualitiesvaluedbythecommunityora
culturalgroup;
Response:MEETS
TheprojectbyWBGandMMGto‘colour’thedeforestedhillsofCanberrawasseen
asanessentialcomponentoftheirviewthatCanberrashould‘unitenatureand
culture’.Theunrealisedcompletionofthisproject,whichresultedeitherfromthe
resignationoftheGriffinsin1920,orachangeofheartbyWBGthatnatural
regeneration(combinedwithexclusionofcattlefromRedHill)wasamoreeffective
meansofrestoration,makestheremainingplantingsonRedHillespecially
significantintermsofprovidingalivingexampleoftheoutstandinglandscape
design,whichembodiedaestheticprinciplesinadditiontohorticulturaland
arboriculturalprinciples.WhiletheRedHillhistoricplantingsarenotwidelyknown
andunderstoodwithintheCanberracommunity,theirheritagelistingwillassistin
raisingtheirvisibility,andassuringtheirongoingprotectionandmaintenance.
Theseplantingsarevaluedbythevoluntarycommunitygroup,RedHill
RegenerationGroup.
(c)itisimportantasevidenceofadistinctivewayoflife,taste,tradition,religion,
landuse,custom,process,designorfunctionthatisnolongerpractised,isindanger
ofbeinglostorisofexceptionalinterest;
Response:HIGH
ThevisionexpressedbyWBGandMMGto‘paint’theCanberrahillswithcoloured
floweringplants,wasauniqueandnolongerpracticedarboriculturalprocess,which
reflectedbothadesiretorevegetatethedenudedhills,andtheirdesirethat
Canberrashould‘unitenatureandculture’.Thispartiallycompletedvisionismost
readilyobservedonRedHill,especiallywhentheCallistemons,Grevilleasand
Swainsonaplantsexhibittheirredflowers(Attachment5).Theredflowersofthe
callistemonplantation,locatedjustbelowthesummitontheeasternsideofRedHill
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andimmediatelybelowthearchitecturallydistinctivekiosk,canbereadily
recognisedfromtheMtAinsliesummitlookout.Theirlocationisslightlyoffsetfrom
theGriffinlandaxisconnectingMtAinslietoRedHill,passingthroughtheAustralian
WarMemorialandParliamentHouse.
(d)itishighlyvaluedbythecommunityoraculturalgroupforreasonsofstrongor
specialreligious,spiritual,cultural,educationalorsocialassociations;
Response:HIGH
TheworkofWBGandMMGindesigningthecityofCanberraanditsintegralhills
andridgeslandscapeelements,hascontinuedtobeembeddedintheCity’s
planningprinciples,andishighlyvaluedbytheCanberracommunity.Thisis
demonstratedloudlybythecommunityandspecialinterestgroupswhenever
planningproposalsareputforwardwhichconflictwiththe‘Griffinlegacy’.The
historicalhillplantingsareanintegralpartofthe‘Griffinlegacy’andaretherefore
highlyvaluedbythecommunityandgroupswhichholdaspecialinterestinWBG
andMMG.
(e)itissignificanttotheACTbecauseofitsimportanceaspartoflocalAboriginal
tradition;
Response:NOTMET/NA
(f)itisarareoruniqueexampleofitskind,orisrareoruniqueinitscomparative
intactness;
Response:MEETS
TheuniquehistoricplantingsbyCharlesWestonofredfloweringCallistemon,
GrevilleasandSwainsonaoveracenturyago,inresponsetothevisionofWBGand
MMGto‘paint’theCanberrahills,andtheirsurvivalandcomparativeintactnessin
thefaceofregularbushfires,andinspiteofbeingignoredandrelatively
unrecogniseduntilveryrecently,lendstheseplantsandtheirlocationwithinthe
RedHillNatureReserveaspecialvaluewhichdeservesprotection,especiallyinthe
centenaryyearofthecommencementoftheirplanting.
(g)itisanotableexampleofakindofplaceorobjectanddemonstratesthemain
characteristicsofthatkind;
Response:MEETS
ThehistoricplantingsonRedHillclearlydemonstrate,especiallywheninfullbloom,
theincompletevisionofWBGandMMGto‘paint’thedenudedCanberraHills.
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Whileincomplete,inthatcolouredfloweringplantswereonlyplantedonRedHill,
MountPleasantandMtMuggaMugga,theRedHillplantingsarethemost
accessible,andmostclearlydemonstratethemaincharacteristicsofthatvision.
(h)ithasstrongorspecialassociationswithaperson,group,event,developmentor
culturalphaseinlocalornationalhistory;
Response:HIGH
ClearevidencecanbefoundincommunicationsbetweenWBGandCharlesWeston,
documentationofthelocationandflowercolourofproposedplantings,and
YarralumlaNursery‘plantcards’thatthesurvivinghistoricredfloweringplantings
onRedHill,ofCallistemon,GrevilleaandSwainsona,aredirectlyandstrongly
associatedwiththebrieftenureofWBGandMMGinestablishingtheurbanand
landscapedesignprinciplesforCanberraoveracenturyago,andintheplanting
recordsofCharlesWeston.Theseactivitiesdemonstratetheplanningintentionsfor
Canberrafromitsearliestdays.Thehistoricplantingsprovidecontinuityfromthese
earliestdaysofCanberra’sbirthtothepresentdayandbeyond.
(i)itissignificantforunderstandingtheevolutionofnaturallandscapes,including
significantgeologicalfeatures,landforms,biotaornaturalprocesses;
Response:MEETS
Ratherthandemonstratinganunderstandingoftheevolutionofnaturallandscapes,
theWBGandMMGvisionto‘paint’theCanberrahillswasaspecificresponseto
boththeman-madedenudingofthehilltops,andthedesiretouniquely‘unite
natureandculture’.However,inparallelwiththisvision,thereisnodoubtthatboth
WBGandMMGunderstoodandincorporatedthelandformsandgeologicalfeatures
intoabeautifullyconsideredanduniquecityembeddedwithinthelandscape.The
useofredfloweringplantsonRedHillwasinresponsetothegeologicalmakeupof
RedHill,whichdisplaysredcolouredformationsoftheweatheredHornfelsrock.
(j)ithasprovided,orislikelytoprovide,informationthatwillcontributesignificantly
toawiderunderstandingofthenaturalorculturalhistoryoftheACTbecauseofits
useorpotentialuseasaresearchsiteorobject,teachingsiteorobject,typelocality
orbenchmarksite;
Response:MEETS
TheredfloweringhistoricplantingsonRedHillneedtobeproperlyprotected,
mapped,registered,maintainedandinterpretedinordertoenablethecommunity
tomorefullyunderstandtheuniqueandhistoricalsignificanceoftheseartifacts.
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Heritagelistingisthefirststepinthisimportantprocess,tofacilitateitsusefor
research,teachingandeducation.
(k)theplaceexhibitsunusualrichness,diversityorsignificanttransitionsofflora,
faunaornaturallandscapesandtheirelements;
Response:NOTMET/NA
l)theplaceisasignificantecologicalcommunity,habitatorlocalityforanyofthe
following:
. (i)thelifecycleofnativespecies;
. (ii)rare,threatenedoruncommonspecies;
. (iii)speciesatthelimitsoftheirnaturalrange;or
. (iv)distinctoccurrencesofspecies.
Response:NOTMET/NA
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Attachment1:ExtractsfromMarionMahonyGriffin’snotebookslistingflowering
plantssuitablefor‘painting’theCanberrahills.
Ref:PapersofWalterBurleyGriffinandMarionMahonycollectedbyEricNicholls,
1900-1947.NationalLibraryofAustralia,Canberra
Figure1:Callistemonlanceolatus
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Figure2:Grevillearosmarinfolia
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Figure3:Swainsoniagalexifolia(sic)
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Attachment2:RecordofconversationbetweenCharlesWestonandWalterBurley
Griffinregarding‘painting’Canberra’shillswithdistinctivefloweringplants.
Ref:CanberraandDistrictHistoricalSociety1911-1920GPMurphyp10,ACT
HeritageLibrary
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Attachment3:YarralumlaNurseryplantscards,showingtheacquisitionandplantingonRedHill
of4506redFloweringCallistemon(3660CallistemonLanceolatus,23CallistemonRigidusand825
CallistemonRugulosus)
Ref:http://www.archives.act.gov.au/publications/yarralumla-nursery-records
Figure1:825Callistemonrugulosus,plantedonRedHillon22September1920
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Figure2:21CallistemonRigidus,plantedonRedHill22September1920
Figure3:2CallistemonRigidus,plantedonRedHill22September1920
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Figure4:747Callistemonlanceolatus,plantedonRedHillon22September1920
Figure5:2913CallisteonLanceolatus,plantedonRedHill20June1917and23-25October1917
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Attachment4:LocationofhistoricplantingsonRedHill
Figure1:1917mapofRedHillshowingtherectangularareanearthepresentkiosk,wherehistoric
Callistemonplantscanbeseentoday.
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Figure2:GenerallocationofCallistemon,GrevilleaandSwainsonahistoricplantingsonRedHill
summitridge
Figure3:CurrentextentofhistoricredfloweringCallistemonplantingonRedHill
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Figure4:CurrentextentofhistoricredfloweringGrevilleaplantingonRedHill
Figure5:currentextentofhistoricredfloweringSwainsonaplantingonRedHill
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Attachment5:HistoricredfloweringplantsonRedHillsummitridge
Figure1:HistoricredfloweringCallistemonplantsonRedHill(2016)
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Figure2:HistoricredfloweringGrevilleaplantsonRedHill