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ACTHeritageCouncilapplicationfornominationtoACTHeritageRegister

Part2:Section5-Statementofsignificance

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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



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Figure3:RedfloweringhistoricSwainsonaplantsonRedHill