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Historical Silhouette of Alexander Munro, 2019
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TitleHistorical Silhouette of Alexander Munro, 2019Date Created2019PhotographerTanya JenAcknowledgementIpswich City Council, City Design Branch, Planning and Regulatory Services Department
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Description
DescriptionThe Historical Silhouette of former Park Curator, Alexander Munro is located outside the Visitor Information Centre in Queens Park.
This photograph was taken looking towards the Visitor Information Centre car park.
Alexander Munro was born in Scotland and trained on the Duke of Sutherland’s estate at Dunrobin Castle where he specialised in topiary art. He ended up as a horticulturist and was to go to Kew Gardens but decided to move to Australia instead. He emigrated to join his brother who was working at Talgai East Station near Allora. There he met his wife‐to‐be, Mary Ann Armstrong who was from County Armagh in Ireland. Alexander and Mary Ann married in Warwick when he was 35 years old. After their marriage, they went to the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane where Alexander was second in-charge.
One of Alexander's first projects was the landscaping of the Wickham Terrace Gardens and Albert Park. He was also in charge of the Bowen Park acclimatisation gardens opposite the present Royal Brisbane Hospital. In approximately 1880 he worked for Captain Charles Hope at Wellington Point.
Alexander was appointed as the Ipswich Park Curator in 1882. After taking up the position he supervised the first glasshouse or hothouse in the park. He was very interested in the propagating of dahlias, particularly a red and white striped one which was named after him. He landscaped the Lovers’ Walk and planted additional Bunya pines.
His family believe that Alexander planted the trees down the driveway of Girls’ Grammar School. When the Council insisted he retire in 1909, he was not happy about this and said that "if he had known it was a temporary job, not a permanent one, he never would have taken it". By this time, he had been employed there for 28 years and was in his mid‐70s.
Further information is available in Memories of Queens Park, Ipswich (Oral History interview) with Amelia Francis.
This photograph was taken looking towards the Visitor Information Centre car park.
Alexander Munro was born in Scotland and trained on the Duke of Sutherland’s estate at Dunrobin Castle where he specialised in topiary art. He ended up as a horticulturist and was to go to Kew Gardens but decided to move to Australia instead. He emigrated to join his brother who was working at Talgai East Station near Allora. There he met his wife‐to‐be, Mary Ann Armstrong who was from County Armagh in Ireland. Alexander and Mary Ann married in Warwick when he was 35 years old. After their marriage, they went to the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane where Alexander was second in-charge.
One of Alexander's first projects was the landscaping of the Wickham Terrace Gardens and Albert Park. He was also in charge of the Bowen Park acclimatisation gardens opposite the present Royal Brisbane Hospital. In approximately 1880 he worked for Captain Charles Hope at Wellington Point.
Alexander was appointed as the Ipswich Park Curator in 1882. After taking up the position he supervised the first glasshouse or hothouse in the park. He was very interested in the propagating of dahlias, particularly a red and white striped one which was named after him. He landscaped the Lovers’ Walk and planted additional Bunya pines.
His family believe that Alexander planted the trees down the driveway of Girls’ Grammar School. When the Council insisted he retire in 1909, he was not happy about this and said that "if he had known it was a temporary job, not a permanent one, he never would have taken it". By this time, he had been employed there for 28 years and was in his mid‐70s.
Further information is available in Memories of Queens Park, Ipswich (Oral History interview) with Amelia Francis.
Connections
People & FamiliesAlexander MunroPlacesQueens ParkCurated CollectionsHistorical SilhouettesRelated ItemsMemories of Queens Park, Ipswich, an oral history with Amelia Francis, Ipswich, 1994 (Audio)Memories of Queens Park, Ipswich, an oral history with Amelia Francis, Ipswich, 1994 (Transcript)
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Asset Details
Reference IDAlexander Munro Silhouette 2019aAsset TypeImage - JpegImages, Maps and Artefacts (Trove mapping field)imageColour or Black & White ImageColourPhysical DescriptionBorn DigitalCopyright StatusIn CopyrightCopyright NoticeTo use this image, please contact the Picture Ipswich Digital Archivist. CopyrightPicture Ipswich Copyright Information
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Historical Silhouette of Alexander Munro, 2019. Picture Ipswich, accessed 08/04/2026, https://www.pictureipswich.com.au/nodes/view/18599