The Gowrie Garden

The Gowrie Garden was commissioned by Lady Zara Gowrie, the wife of the 10th Governor-General of Australia – Sir Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthvan, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC GCMG CB DSO PC.

Lady Gowrie is remembered as being tireless in her work: she organised concerts and Government House fêtes to raise money for the war effort, set up a soldiers' club in Canberra and lent her support to the establishment of what became known as the Lady Gowrie kindergartens.

She commissioned the Gowrie Garden to honour her son Patrick, who was killed in Libya in 1942. She and a friend, Ethel Anderson, set out a garden that is today a horticultural treasure. It is a garden of four seasons with its central feature being a in memory of the Patrick.

The seat around the Wisteria tree was installed around the same time.

A black and white photo of a path surrounded by trees leading to a small fountain — An early photograph of the Gowrie Garden - taken shortly after completion.