We were shocked and saddened to hear the news that Kate passed away. She had been in poor health for as long as we have known her, but had always managed to bounce back, so we thought that would continue. Her strength and resilience were an inspiration. Kate was a breath of fresh air in the Rose Society, full of ideas and enthusiasm to implement them. As the inaugural Chairman of the Upper North Shore and Hills (UNSH) regional group of the Rose Society NSW, she was highly organised and never afraid to try new things. UNSH had become, under her leadership, the most successful in the region.
She promoted Australian-bred roses and supported the East Coast Rose Trial Garden, Kincumber NSW. Kate produced a lot of reading material for her regional group and spent many hours researching and expanding her knowledge of roses, their history and how to show them. She loved learning and was always keen to share. It’s a huge loss with hard shoes to fill. To honour her generosity and care for others, we bred and registered the rose ‘Birchgrove’, named for hers and her husband Paul’s property. The rose, like the property and person, is larger than life. We extend to Paul and family our condolences and gratitude for sharing Kate with us. We will not forget her contribution to our lives as well as to her roses and camellias that she loved so well.
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