Local heroes save historical roses

The Manetti roses were originally placed on the river bank in 1852 by the young Royal Engineer Lieutenant Du Cane, who planted them near Barkers Bridge in Guildford.

The roses were very nearly lost in 1997 when contractors for the city of Swan sprayed them with herbicide.

The local Guildford Association and other conservation groups, including students from Polytechnic West, replanted the roses with cuttings from the original roses.

Members of the Guildford Association were known to have carried buckets of water from the river to water the roses during the heat of the following summers, until City of Swan installed reticulation.

The world is full of unsung local heroes.