Helping Hands

Do you love gardening?    

If so, come along to Rookwood and become a ‘Helping Hands’ volunteer. We only meet twice a month. We are a cheerful group; new members are made to feel very welcome and the satisfaction at the end of the day’s work is great. Interested? 
We need your help!

Our group is only a small one and meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from March to November. If you have some time, please join us, even for an hour or so. We meet at the Village Green Car Park, opposite the All Souls Chapel, Hawthorne Avenue, around 9:30am. and then head off for a morning of weeding, etc.
o    We break for lunch at midday then work for an hour or two after lunch depending on the weather and our enthusiasm. We and generally end up having a coffee at the Village Hub before calling it a day.
 

 

If you would like to know more about becoming a Helping Hand, please contact us at friends_of_rookwood@hotmail.com 

 

 

History of Helping Hands - with thanks to our loyal helping hand, Loraine Punch

The ‘Friends’ had started taking interested groups on tours of the various finds they had located during the time when the Society of Australian Genealogists undertook the massive task of transcribing the headstones in the Necropolis. They began these tours in 1989.

In 1990, Joan Sigrist started a group, within the Friends of Rookwood that focused on providing practical assistance with gardening and other projects. This group became known as the Helping Hands. With the help of Derek Williams, who was at the time working at the Crematorium the group began weeding and mulching.

The group ran in conjunction with the tours and in 1993 were incorporated when the name of changed to Friends of Rookwood Inc.

Joan was instrumental in mapping the older parts of the cemetery and worked endlessly in the Helping Hands. Unfortunately, Joan passed away in 1994 and her ashes were placed in the Wesleyan Rose Garden which our group still looks after.

Barbara May and the Heritage Rose Society helped the Friends to become aware of the uniqueness of the roses growing in Rookwood. The Helping Hands gardening group have planted heritage rose gardens and other work with roses under Barbara May’s guidance. 

Over the years many “hands on the ground” work has been achieved in many areas. 
 

Please keep an eye out here for photos of past projects.