The World of Roses

The World of Roses

The World of Roses encompasses Regional, State, National and International bodies.

The focal point of rose growing and exhibiting in South Australia is The Rose Society of South Australia Inc (RSSA), one of five state rose bodies in Australia.

The RSSA has the largest membership base of any of the Australian State organisations. This is understandable, as Adelaide is often referred to as the “Rose Capital of the Australia”!

South Australia has a large reservoir of expert administrators and growers who are united in a charter: “To provide excellence and innovation in the promotion of the rose”. Even better, they are always willing to provide guidance and advice to newcomers, whether they are novice or experienced growers and/or exhibitors. One just has to ask.

Like many of the Australian State bodies, the South Australian body has regional clubs/branches.

In South Australia, they include: South East Branch, spanning a broad area from Kingston to Mt Gambier; Chaffey Rose Club, embracing members from the Riverland, Riverina and Sunraysia (yes, they draw some members from far west Victoria and New South Wales); and Roses on Eyre, attracting members from as far west as Ceduna across the Eyre Peninsula to Cummins and Port Lincoln. All club and branch members are members of the RSSA too.

The culture of roses varies slightly within the RSSA’s regions, as do club activities. Some branches hold Rose Shows or support Agricultural Shows. Some hold pruning demonstrations and some do day trips. All hold regular meetings.

All state organisations are members of the National Rose Society of Australia (NRSA). The NRSA is an organisation developed over 50 years ago to better integrate communication and friendship between State organisations. The NRSA holds Annual meetings and National Shows. These rotate between States, as does the Presidency, to ensure equity and a constant flow of fresh ideas. There are no individual members of the NRSA; states elect delegates to represent their views and meetings and in written communications.

The ultimate body is the World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS), an organisation of 39 member countries. Australia has been an active member contributor to this group since its inception and has supplied three Presidents an Executive Director and a Treasurer to the body’s management. WFRS members stage triennial and Regional Conventions. They work diligently via its Vice-Presidents and various committees to produce real outcomes for every facet of rose culture and diplomacy. Much of the work of the WFRS has practical application to everyday rose growing and enjoyment.