Toowoomba's, Carnival of Flowers

Toowoomba (also known as 'The Garden City') is located 132km (82 miles) west of

Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an urban population of 95,265, it is one

of Australia's larger provincial cities.

Toowoomba’s Carnival of Flowers is held each year in the last full week of September

when local people and thousands of visitors take pleasure in the beautiful gardens

and the parade that commences at 12 noon on the first Saturday of the carnival and

takes about 45 minutes to pass by.

The Carnival of Flowers developed from an annual garden competition initiated in 1949

by the then editor of the Toowoomba Chronicle newspaper and is Australia's longest

running annual horticultural event. The streets are thronged with people, many of

whom have travelled from interstate and even overseas to enjoy the week-long gala.

We decided to drive up the 120km to Toowoomba and left at 8.30am. Within 20

minutes we struck a huge holdup on the Ipswich Motorway due to road works and it

took us 35 minutes to travel 13km before we finally we on our way again. The rest

of the journey was uneventful and we finally found a car park and entered

Queens Park.

The City Council's gardeners start planning a year in advance, attending to permanent

shrubs and trees and designing the look of colourful floral displays in park and street

beds. Close to 200,000 seedlings are propagated, and then planted out to bloom at

the critical time.

Queen's Park Gardens - Formerly known as the Botanical Gardens, the glasshouses

have long since gone is a mecca for flower lovers, as Queen's Park Gardens feature

changing displays of annual plants in beds set against a lush backdrop of lawns, shrubs

and towering trees.

The Park covering 26.3 hectares was planned and developed by Walter Hill, a

Government Botanist and superintendent of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. The many

trees which were imported from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, today

stand as grand old trees lining shaded avenues.

Carl Hartmann, a botanist from Germany, and George Searle, a local landscape

gardener, also made big contributions to creating this magnificent oasis close to the

heart of the city. In 1875 young trees were planted out along broad avenues

throughout the park.

Once we had viewed the magnificent flowers in Queen’s Park we walked down to the

main street where the parade was being held.

One of the Red Hat ladies who came up to Peter and presented him with a red

rose and told him that he was the best looking man at the parade. Peter (who’s

been “desperate” for some time now……yeah I know too much information)

immediately lent over and kissed her on the cheek. Obviously she needs to have

her eyes checked??

The weather was perfect, a few white fluffy clouds and brilliant sunshine. The

journey to Toowoomba normally takes about two hours and even allowing for the

hold-up at the start of our trip, it was worth the visit, and if you’re around this

part of the country one should go and take in the spectacle of “The Carnival of

Flowers.” Next year is the 60th Anniversary.