Historical information

Flower shows or Horticultural exhibitions were a popular form of entertainment and scientific pastime in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and were widely reported on and followed. Ballarat was a major centre for nurseries and prided itself as a garden city promoting many shows at all levels including grand national exhibitions. Exhibitors ranged from professional hybridists, nurserymen and florists to amateur growers. This award represents the cottage or amateur class in flower shows and was awarded at St Andrew's Jubilee Exhibition and Flower Show. It is one of many in the Taffe family collection won by members of the family between 1899 and 2004. The collection covers three generations of amateur growers and showers across three different centuries.This collection also highlights one of the interactions between members of different religious faith communities in Ballarat in the early twentieth century as this Roman Catholic family were exhibiting at Church of England and Presbyterian functions as well as other shows across the community.

Inscriptions & markings

Class B, No 14. 57, Six varieties of pansies, Miss Taaffe