Sydney Spring Garden Competition History

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW has a long and rich horticultural history. Since 1929, Flower and Garden competitions have featured at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and in 2019, a new specialised Sydney garden competition was introduced.

The Sydney Spring Garden competition honours the bequest of Lt -Col. Charles Ronald Christian, a British army surgeon who visited Australia in 1933. Lt-Col Christian bequeathed equal shares of his estate to the cities of Sydney and Perth for the purpose of awarding annual prizes to beautiful gardens in front or around private homes. He expressly detailed that such gardens must be viewable to the general public from the road or footpath.

Between 1972 and 1979 the Sydney Garden Awards were administered by the City of Sydney, with the assistance of the Royal Horticultural Society of NSW. Forty years later, Christian's vision was revived by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW with the launch of the new competition. Entry was open to suburban gardens across Sydney.