In Kirra wrote:

Many thanks

You're welcome. I actually visited Honeysuckle again last weekend -
it's about an hour and a half northwest of Sydney by my reckoning. I
took a few photos and I'll post them on the website within a day or so,
under my October diary.

They still have a lot of potted old roses there, and a sprinkling of the
better new ones too. Plus loads of Austins, including the older ones
like The Squire and Peach Blossom. Their 2003 catalogue has some 'new'
old rose discoveries like Vestey's Pink Tea. I wish they published it
online, each description is wonderful - written by Dr Judyth McLeod.

Display bushes in the middle of the nursery include a Monsieur Tillier
which is 10 feet high, with a trunk literally a foot thick. There's a
Mrs B R Cant almost as big.

Another highlight was the climbing deep red HT, Alister Clark's Countess
of Stradbroke. This Australian bred climber was hailed by the 1939
American Rose Annual to be the best climber in the world at the time.
By the size and smell of the blooms, I reckon it's held its own!

The in stock varieties left after the mail order season tend to be the
less well known ones. I picked up Mme Antoine Mari (a tea from 1901). I
also gave in and got a Souvenir de la Malmaison (a very common bourbon
that needs no introduction).

I nearly got an Octavius Weld too.... a very strong looking bush. It's
a tea that was discovered on a tombstone in South Australia, probably a
chance cross between two other early teas. They gave it the name on the
tomb! Botanica's Roses says that it's very beautiful but not grown
outside Australia. Pity.

Anyway, if you like Old Roses and you prefer to buy from true experts,
this is the place. I have no affiliation other than as a very happy
customer.