Beatrice Bligh
Beatrice Bligh | |
|---|---|
 Bligh in 1972 | |
| Born | Rosemary Beatrice Gordon 27 August 1916 Edgecliff, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 18 January 1973 (aged 56) Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Gardener |
| Years active | 1941–1973 |
| Notable work | Pejar Park |
| Spouse |
Francis Leonard Bligh
(m. 1941) |
| Children | 4 |
Rosemary Beatrice Bligh (née Gordon; 27 September 1916 – 18 January 1973) was an Australian gardener and writer. Credited as an important influence on Australian gardening by the Australian Garden History Society, her garden in the Southern Tablelands won The Sydney Morning Herald's 1965 garden competition.
Biography
Rosemary Beatrice Gordon was born on 27 September 1916 in the Edgecliff neighborhood of Sydney. 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 in Sydney and the Frensham School in Mittagong. On 1 March 1941, she married Francis Leonard Bligh, a grazier and Royal Australian Air Force flying officer, at the St Philip's Anglican Church in Bungendore. They had four children together. Bligh moved to her husband's ranch at Pejar Park near Goulburn and managed the property while he was serving in World War II.[1]
Inspired by her grandfather's garden in
In 1968, Bligh wrote the book Down to Earth, which provided guidance and outlined her experiences with creating a garden in the Southern Tablelands. 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, Bligh's books had a significant impact on gardening in Australia.[1][2][4]
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) and was a fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society. She was also a member of the Royal Sydney Golf Club and the Ski Club of Australia.[1]
Bibliography
- Down to Earth. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. 1968.
- Cherish the Earth: The Story of Gardening in Australia. Sydney: ISBN 978-0-908197-32-3.
References
- ^ ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ Archive.org.
- ^ Stackhouse, Shirley (1985-04-25). "The Charisma of Goulburn's Country Gardens". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 29. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
- ^ Walford, Leslie (1968-12-15). "How to Make a Garden". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 109. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
External links
- Diagram of Bligh's garden by The Sydney Morning Herald
