Old Rosanna Station Gardens

This story arrives via a most circuitous route, including our former Eaglemont resident Nilss, who's family came from northern Europe to Australia, and who is now an orchestral violinist in Austria.

Guess which northern European country..........

"This photo appeared in the 12.10.1977 edition of the Latvian newspaper "Laiks" (published in the USA).

"Rosanna station master Augusts Rozitis and his assistant Joyce Graham have tended the station's garden. A.Rozitis said that he bought the plants out of his own pocket six years ago, when he started to work at Rosanna."

I suppose the Latvian community out in their diaspora were pleased to be able read about their fellow countrymen making their mark in new countries.

The good Augusts Rozitis would have found the growing season and the need for supplementary watering at Rosanna a bit different to his native Latvia.

From Wikipedia -

"Opening on 1 October 1927, Rosanna station, like the suburb itself, was named after Elizabeth Anna Rose, the wife of James Watson, who purchased land in the area in 1838 when the Warringal village was divided in nine portions of varying sizes.^[6][7] Watson later named his land Rosa Anna farm.^[6]

In 1958, in conjunction with the duplication of the line between Rosanna Junction (which was located at the up end of the station) and Macleod, flashing light signals replaced wigwags at the former Lower Plenty Road level crossing, which was located at the down end of the station.^[5] In 1972, boom barriers were provided.^[8] Three years later, in 1975, new station buildings were provided.^[9]

On 6 October 2017, the former ground level station closed, as part of the removal of the Lower Plenty Road level crossing and the duplication of the Hurstbridge line between Rosanna and Heidelberg. On 4 May 2018, a new, elevated station opened."