Australian-Bred & Heritage Roses

Most of the roses sold in Australia were bred for cool northern-hemisphere gardens. A special few were bred right here — for our heat, our humidity and our light — and it shows.

The Alister Clark legacy

From his garden at Bulla in Victoria, Alister Clark (1864–1949) bred roses specifically for Australian conditions in the early twentieth century. Vigorous, heat-tolerant and gloriously free-flowering, varieties like Nancy Hayward, Squatter's Dream and Mrs Richard Turnbull remain some of the toughest, most rewarding roses you can grow here.

Why heritage & old-garden roses?

Heritage roses — the Damasks, Bourbons, Teas and Gallicas grown for centuries — bring a depth of fragrance and an informal, romantic charm that many modern roses have lost. Many are also remarkably resilient, having earned their place in gardens long before chemical sprays existed.

David Austin — the best of both worlds

David Austin English Roses marry the form and scent of the old roses with the repeat-flowering of modern ones. As an authorised stockist, we list them by their proper registered variety names.

Our focus

We specialise in these three families because they're the roses that genuinely thrive in Australian gardens — and because they have stories worth telling. Explore the Australian-bred, heritage and David Austin collections to find yours.