John Knowles.net

BEVERLEY

George Du Rose Knowles
Head Gardener to the Beverley Estate, Timaru, New Zealand - 1873 to 1898

Beverley was built by Henry Le Cren in the 1860s and purchased by Mr and Mrs Arthur Perry in 1873. George Du Rose Knowles, (described locally as being descended from a long line of Devonshire gardeners), came to New Zealand and then Timaru from Esher, Surrey aboard the Star of China leaving on 19th April 1875.

He soon became head gardener at Beverley, a position he held until 1898 when Beverley was sold after the death of Mr Perry. Mr and Mrs Knowles, known to the five Perry children as Mr and Mrs Poddles, (Dict. 'to move or travel in a leisurely manner'), lived in a cob cottage on the property at the back of the home of Mr Arthur Jones, Beverley Road. In this cottage the seven Knowles children were born.

With enthusiastic aid from Mr and Mrs Perry, George Knowles set out to build up one of the best gardens in New Zealand. From all parts of the world plants were imported, and before many years, the gardens and the head gardener of Beverley were known throughout the Dominion. Mr Knowles was proud of his knowledge of the history of his foreign importations; when asked the name of any of them, some unpronounceable Latin name would roll off his tongue. A feature of the gardens was a long driveway arched over by magnificent macrocarpa. In the grounds were also four glasshouses in which grew orchids, begonia, pineapples, bananas, lemons and oranges.

George Knowles developed a nursery business on part of the Beverley Estate gifted to him after he left the Estate and his descendants continued in the horticultural industry and floristry until as late as the 1990s.