Historical information

The original postcards in this series (2013.002 to 2013.018) were generously loaned to Williamstown Botanic Gardens by a private collector for copying.

Significance

The postcards are evidence of the interest the gardens held as a subject for postcard publishers. The text and images provide a snapshot into fashions, social interests and concerns of the time. The professionally produced images provide a pictorial history of Gardens including changing planting styles, various structures and features of the Gardens eg the aviary, cannons, the fountain, the second Curator’s Lodge and gates. The images offer an opportunity to compare garden vistas with the present day.
The many annuals seen in this postcard demonstrates the intensity of Edwardian gardening

Physical description

Colour Postcard of staked flowers (mostly blue) surrounding a grassed area with a circular garden in the centre and trees in the background

Inscriptions & markings

Front: ‘The Botanic Gardens, Williamstown’. Reverse: ‘POST W.T.P. (in a double rectangle inside a patterned diamond) CARD’ centre top of card, underlined with a dividing line down the centre of the card. ‘This Space may be used for Correspondence’ on left side of line; ‘This Space for Address Only.’ on right side of line. A red Victorian one penny stamp on right top corner. In pencil under ‘POST’: ‘21/1/09’. See image for inscription from Julia to Miss R Gunn.