Heritage

Wisdom seat a place of truth in Rosewood

The Rosewood Wisdom Seat extends an invitation to all who pass by,
to come and sit, but makes no further demands.

You can stop for a few seconds to catch your breath, or sit back and spend some time relaxing.

A solid long wooden bench, the Wisdom Seat is perched below a huge Hill’s fig tree in the main street between the Uniting Church Goodwill shop and the Post Office.

The fig throws shade over the whole area leaving the seat permanently in the cool breeze.

A sign erected behind the seat reads: In 1929 Rosewood CWA requested the Rosewood Shire Council to provide a seat for the convenience of residents, especially women and children, and those waiting outside the Post Office for the arrival of the mail. This is the third such seat where locals meet to share knowledge and information. In recent years the spot has become known as the Wisdom Seat.

Betty Perrin and Heather Bottrell like to have a little rest between chores although they say they don’t have a lot of time to sit.

Mrs Bottrell has taken a load off and explains.

“I don’t usually stop long enough to sit under the tree. I get into trouble because when I go up the street I always talk to everybody. I say I buy a loaf of bread and by the time I get home the bread is mouldy cause I’ve been talking to everybody.

Betty Perrin agrees.

“We haven’t had time. I used to see the elderly men sitting here and they just enjoyed one another’s company. It’s in the shade and it passes their time.

“The farmers used to sit here and talk about their crops and what they were planting so it was a way for them to catch up with they come into town to shop.

“Being under the tree just adds so much character to it. It’s really beautiful,” Mrs Perrin said.

Mrs Perrin and Mrs Bottrell have taken a few minutes to sit and catch up and say hello to whoever passes by.

Mrs Bottrell tells the story of her first time at the Wisdom Seat.

“I was told by the men who always sat on this wisdom seat, that you watch the clouds coming from that direction and he said if you see that looking bad, you grab your kids and go.

“Now this advice came from the men way back in the 80s from this wisdom seat.

“So that piece of wisdom has stuck with me especially when there are storms.

Post Office co-owner Pam McEwin has her own bit of wisdom to share about the Wisdom Seat.

“Don’t sit on it – I’ve sat on it, it doesn’t work,” she said.

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