Sevenhill’s Walter Duncan has died at the age of 83, after a life of sharing the beauty, colour and magically sweet aroma of roses.
An internationally renowned “rose expert”, garden designer and speaker, Walter and his wife Kay have opened up their magnificent Sevenhill Heritage Garden each Spring to thousands of visitors as a fundraiser for The Royal Flying Doctor Service and The Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The property, which has become one of the most beautiful private gardens in Australia, features the Duncan’s magnificent home as a centrepiece, built in the 1990’s with materials from Walter’s parents demolished Eastwood villa. Visitors also come from far and wide to visit the incredible “labyrinth”of sunflowers which has become a drawcard in more recent years.
The Heritage Garden, is set on two acres, featuring around 2000 roses, including 500 heritage roses, complimented by established trees and large plantings of annual flowering plants such as delphiniums and foxgloves.
Duncan’s affinity with roses stemmed from his Mother, fittingly named Rose, and her love for the world’s favourite bloom. His passion began from the age of 9, growing roses in his parent’s garden on Greenhill Road at Eastwood. He joined the Rose Society of SA at the age of 18, was elected Vice-President at the age of 25 and later, President. By the age of 37, he was made an Honorary Life Member.
In 1971, Walter moved from Eastwood to the family estate at Hughes Park, Watervale, where he developed a large commercial rose production nursery that produced 100,000 roses per year to supply retailers around Australia.
Walter was co-Author of “Botanicas Roses”, an encyclopaedia of roses, dubbed “one of the greatest rose books of all time”. He and his wife also released “The Heritage Garden” in 2021 – the story of Walters’ love of roses and his journey to create his dream garden with Kay beside him. It’s also covers his family history, achievements and re-building of the home from Walter’s Parents’ bluestone home relocated from Adelaide.
Walter was featured in SA Life magazine in May this year.
He leaves behind a legacy of colour and beauty. Vale Walter Duncan
