Bulla in Hume, Victoria, Australia — Oceania
Alister Clark
| — | Alister Clark Memorial Rose Garden | — |
Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, August 27, 2026
1. Alister Clark Marker
The Clark Family
Alister's father was Walter Clark, a wealthy Scottish immigrant from Argyllshire who was one of the first to grow grapes in the Sunbury region. Walter was President of the Shire of Bulla from 1866 to 1871.
Alister's mother - Annie - died when he was just one year old. His father died eight years later. Alister, his brother and three sisters were brought up by relatives. Alister spent much of his youth in the United Kingdom and studied law at Cambridge University. As he lived the life of a 'Gentleman', Alister never practiced law but was a Justice of the Peace. In 1888 he married Edith (Edie) Rhodes of Christchurch New Zealand. They had no children.
Glenara
The Clark family settled in Bulla in 1857 when Walter Clark built the house at Glenara (or Deep Creek as it was first known). Alister lived on this property for most of his life, it was here that he bred roses and
this page online
The garden at Glenara was designed by Charles Sawyer and included a large range of fruit trees, a specialist collection of conifers and unusual Australian natives. The layout of the young garden can be clearly seen in Eugene von Guerard's 1867 painting of the Clark property.
A Keen Sportsman
Alister loved horses. He was Master of the local Oaklands Hunt Club, a keen polo player and founding Chairman of the Moonee Valley Racing Club. The Alister Clark Stakes, run at Moonee Valley each autumn, were named in his honour. At Glenara Alister kept steeplechasers, draft horses and ponies.
Alister was also a founding member of the Royal Melbourne Golf Club and a keen billiard player.
A Civic Leader
Like his father before him, Alister was President of the Shire of Bulla in 1896, 1902 and 1908.
Erected by Hume City Council.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.
Location. 37° 38.207′ S, 144° 48.231′ E. Marker is in Bulla, Victoria, in Hume.
Photographed by Dean Barton-Ancliffe, August 27, 2026
2. Alister Clark Marker in the Rose Garden
Regionally, it is in Oceania, in Australasia, in the Pacific Ocean, in South Pacific, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mary Guthrie (here, next to this marker); Glenara (here, next to this marker); Kitty Kininmonth (here, next to this marker); Cicely Lascelles (here, next to this marker); Jessie Clark (here, next to this marker); Lady Mann (here, next to this marker); Gwen Nash (a few steps from this marker); Zara Hore-Ruthven (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bulla.
Also see . . . Alister Clark (1864–1949). Australian Dictionary of Biography
Clark was best known as a rosarian. He was a foundation member of the National Rose Society of Victoria in 1900 and served as its president. He put great effort and skill into developing new varieties, and his 'Lorraine Lee', 'Black Boy', 'Sunny South', 'Nancy Hayward' and many others were grown throughout Australia; they were highly regarded in the United States of America. He supplied his new varieties without charge to State rose societies for propagation and sale. He won many awards but his greatest triumph was the 1936 Dean Hole Memorial Medal of the National Rose Society (England). His rose garden survives at Glenara and a selection of his roses grows in a memorial garden in Blessington Street, St Kilda.(Submitted on September 22, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria.)
Clark contributed also to the development of new species of daffodils. In 1948 he received the Peter Barr Memorial Cup from the Royal Horticultural Society (England), of which he was a fellow, and vice-president in 1944-48. He believed his pink daffodil to be the world's first.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 22, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 22, 2026, by Dean Barton-Ancliffe of Rowville, Victoria. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
