The Japanese Gardens of Cowra

Cowra is in the Lachlan Valley and had a rich Aboriginal as well as European history. There is a major focus this year on the centenary celebrations of World War II in Cowra, as there was a major Japanese POW camp here and the visitor guide provided details of this. While there is a lot of see in the town we were there specifically for the gardens. 

Cowra of the 1940s was a typical middle-sized Australian town, with a small population of 3000 people. It was a site of a major prisoner of war camp for mostly Japanese and Italian prisoners. The majority of the Italians had been captured in the Middle East, while the Japanese had been fighting in and around the islands immediately north of Australia. The Japanese planned and carried out a major break out from the camp and it took days for all of them to be recaptured. In 1979, the Japanese gardens were opened as a Centre of Japanese Cultural Heritage in Australia. 

Painted Rhino at the entrance

Sculpture at the entrance

Close up of the granite.

 The Geologist insited on a close up!

Bamboos

Stone Lantern to keep evil out.

The gardens are beautiful with a lovely mix of Japanese style, flora and Australian flora. Even though this visit was in winter time, there were flowers and green bushes between bare trees. The information centre is helpful and provides guided tours, leaflet that identifies each plant by name and number (plant guide) and also an audio device to listen to history and information at particular marked spots. 

The Magnolia Blooms

 

Listening to the audio guide 

There is a small Japanese house - Edo - to show a sample of building style. The next few pictures are from inside this edo. The house is simple with minimal furniture, a couple of rooms and a bathroom.

As you move past the house and on to the gardens, there are bare trees and blosoming mangolias. There is a man made lake in front that is fed water by a cascading waterfall and creek. There are couple of bridges that one can cross over. There were few ducks living there and also carp but did not get to glimpse the fish as the water was a little murky.

Edo and its surroundings

The path winds around the gardens and takes you up to the rocky outcrop and wonder views surrounding the gardens. The boulders allow for small flowering plants to grow around them. 

Outdoor Bonsai

Lake with an outdoor seating shelter in the distance

 Crossing Bridge and a Stone Lantern in the lake

 Cherry Blossoms emerging early 

Wonderful Gums

 This is a plant called 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'

There is a small enclosed nursery with some real beautiful bonsais. I would love to be able to grow bonsais but for some reasons have never managed to. I have given up after 3 attempts as it saddens me to see the plant wither and die.

 Ducks sunning themselves in the lake

 Yet another Stone Lantern

The owl wind chimes are beautiful

The tour of the gardens ends here an now we are off home......

Its good bye from the Galahs

 

Its good bye from the ducks

And its good bye from us.