By Tanya Steele
The once well-known spring ‘floral carpet’ of the Dandenongs will once again debut this year in October as the Tecoma Centenary Committee continue to mark the 100 year anniversary of the naming of Tecoma.
Set for 11 October this year, plans are in full swing as the group prepares to recreate a modern version of the original rhododendron floral carpets featured many years ago.
The event is fast approaching and a great day is planned with a crossover of school, local community and businesses.
“We will be asking people if they would like to donate flowers,” said Tecoma Centenary Committee member Barbara.
Tecoma Primary School will host the event in their main hall and festivities will include a cake stall and BBQ – along with an evening concert at the Tecoma Uniting Church.
For almost 30 years the floral carpet display was a highlight for cup weekend in October in the hills and Barbara said people had agreed that that was exciting to have it back again.
Designs used to be sourced from competitions held by primary school children which were then worked into the final larger scale 12 by 12 foot ‘carpet’.
Anita Walker from the Sherbrooke Foothills Historical Society said the earliest reference she could find for the famous floral spectacle was for the first Dandenongs Floral Festival in 1950.
“Then in 1953 the first Rhododendron Festival was held,” she said.
A Mountain Press article dated 16 November 1950 detailed a two-day event which headlined with ‘Tecoma Floral Mat – Finest Yet’.
The article said the children of the school entertained parents and visitors with singing, folk dancing and had a maypole.
Some snippets from older meeting minutes kept by a previous Sherbrooke Foothills Historical Society volunteer named Marilyn stated that when she was involved in researching the floral carpet it raised thousands of pounds for the school and that the Belgrave township was also decorated.
“..the carpet was laid flower by flower. The Williams Nursery in Kallista showed the ladies how to pick flowers without damaging next year’s growth,” said her minutes.
“..it took 600 to 800 hours of work and was laid on a base of sand packed with elm buds which were previously picked, packed and stored in the cool store until needed.”
“The floral carpet concept has waned since it was started in the ’50s, when all the shops in Belgrave were also decorated.”
Tecoma Primary School also provided a small written history of the school to Star Mail which indicated the floral carpet was first held in 1951 as a way for the committee to fundraise for the school.
Parents would work for over 24 hours carting and assembling the flowers and the yearly fundraiser event was featured in major metropolitan newspapers and Women’s Weekly.
A Free press article from May 1985 covered the reunion of people involved in the yearly event and labelled Iras Thoreurn and Nancy Young as some of the first women involved.
Known as the ‘Floral Carpet Ladies’ they reunited in Fawlty’s restaurant in Belgrave and reminisced about the annual floral spectacle which ran until 1980.
The article stated that the group recalled a particularly special year when the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip visited the school in 1954 as part of one of their longest and most extensive royal tours and the the first-ever visit to Australia by a reigning monarch.
“Members recalled working until 3am some years and others laughingly recalled climbing trees to get the right leaves, flowers or berries to complete a design,” it read.
Tecoma Primary itself was not named Tecoma Primary until the year 1961, previously known as Belgrave State School and many previous students remember the floral carpet weekend event.
Current school Principal Rohan Thompson said they are really excited to host the “floral carpet” which has been a traditional event at their school.
“Past students who have attended reunions at our school have always spoken fondly of the floral carpet and how much it was a community project in or around the Melbourne Cup weekend,” he said.
“It was certainly big in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. I guess you can say it is back by popular demand. It seems like a natural fit to host this again in what is the 100 years of the Tecoma railway station.”
An advertisement from 1965 for the annual event detailed a carnival or fair-like atmosphere with pony and tractor rides, decorated prams and billy carts, miniature floral carpets on display, needlework marching bands, folk dancing and cakes and Devonshire teas used to be as feature as well.
The Tecoma Centenary Committee will create this year’s modern floral sensation along with help from the Belgrave and Tecoma Township Group and Tecoma Primary School.
Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to be involved and you can email for more information at tecoma100years@gmail.com
