OSCOV Sponsors

Victorian Orchids of the Year 2003 by Brian Milligan

The Orchid Societies Council of Victoria (OSCOV) introduced the Victorian Orchids of the Year competition in 1992. Photographs of all orchids that have received OSCOV awards in the current year are considered, together with any others submitted by Victorian growers. Success in this competition relies not only on growing an orchid of award quality but also on taking photographs of a similar standard. Ninety awards were granted in 2003 (one First Class Certificate, 10 Awards of Merit, 45 Highly Commended Certificates, 8 Awards of Distinction, 21 Cultural Certificates, 2 Awards of Quality and 3 Certificates of Botanic Merit); an additional ten entries were also received. The OSCOV Judging Panel met in February 2004, first to select the winners in the various categories and then to decide the overall winner.

Victorian Orchid of the Year for 2003 (sponsored by OSCOV) was Paphiopedilum micranthum ‘Gowrie’ FCC/OSCOV, grown by Vic and Elaine Pearce. It also won the Victorian Paphiopedilum Species of the Year category, sponsored by the Stawell Orchid Society. Vic and Elaine will receive an OSCOV Gold Medal, the OSCOV Perpetual Trophy (an original Syd Monkhouse painting of Rossioglossum grande), and a framed photographic print of their orchid (courtesy of Castle Creek Orchids). Vic and Elaine will be presented with these trophies at a dinner held in conjunction with the OSCOV Show at Collectors’ Corner in August.

Bill and Jan Miles won the Victorian Cultural Certificate of the Year with a magnificent specimen plant of Masdevallia Cuzco Gold ‘Beenak’ HCC/OSCOV. They will receive a silver medal and the OSCOV-sponsored Gunter Haar Memorial Trophy (a large framed photographic print of their orchid) at the presentation dinner. The winners of all other categories will also receive framed photographic prints of their orchids and OSCOV medallions at the same dinner.

The Australian Native Orchid Species of the Year (sponsored by the Yarra Valley Orchid Society) was Dendrobium speciosum ‘Harry Klose’ AM/OSCOV, grown by Peter and Sheryl Adams. Australian Native Hybrid of the Year (sponsored by the Mornington Peninsula Orchid Society) was Sarcochilus Burgundy on Ice ‘Rose’ HCC/OSCOV, grown by Robert and Rosalie Harrap of Bairnsdale.

The Victorian Cattleya of the Year (sponsored by the Mid-Murray Orchid Club) was Sophrolaeliocattleya Mahalo Jack ‘Coppin’ HCC/OSCOV, grown by Ron and Pauline Coppin of Stawell. Victorian Cymbidium of the Year (sponsored by the Cymbidium Orchid Society of Victoria) was Cymbidium Kimberley Winter ‘Sunbound’ AM/OSCOV, grown by Otto Wende of Moe, while the Victorian Paphiopedilum Hybrid of the Year (sponsored by the Ballarat Orchid Society)was Paphiopedilum S. Gratrix ‘Broderick’ HCC/OSCOV, grown by John and Barbara Welsh of Stawell. This paphiopedilum also won the category for Victorian Seedling of the Year (sponsored by Atlantis Orchids as the Harold and Florence Coker Award). Victorian Masdevallia of the Year (sponsored by the Warrnambool and District Orchid Society) was Masdevallia Red Sun ‘Cornish’ HCC/OSCOV, grown Alan and Eileen Reidy from Warburton. It was certainly the Year of the Country Grower, as (with only one significant exception) all the above trophies were won by growers from country Victoria!

Victorian Species Orchid of the Year (sponsored by the Orchid Species Society of Victoria) was Masdevallia caudata ‘Kate’ HCC/OSCOV, grown by OSCOV past-President Barry Larkin and his wife Marilyn. They may live out in ‘the sticks’ but they’re close enough to Melbourne for me to count them as city growers! It was gratifying to see Bill Mather, secretary of the OSCOV Judging Panel since its inception in 1992, take out the Victorian Any Other Hybrid of the Year (sponsored by the North East Melbourne Orchid Society) with Ascocenda Viewbank ‘Sally Rosalind’ HCC/OSCOV.

The Victorian Odontoglossum of the Year (sponsored by the Bendigo Orchid Club) was Odontioda Memoria June Appleby ‘Beenak’ HCC/OSCOV, grown by Clive and Agi Halls of Mt. Beenak Orchids. Last but not least was the Victorian Award of Quality of the Year, sponsored by the Ringwood Orchid Society). John Martin and Andrew Francis of Castle Creek Orchids received two AQ/OSCOV awards during the year, both for paphiopedilums. The overall winner was a group of Paphiopedilum sukhakulii seedlings that included Paphiopedilum sukhakulii ‘Merrigum’ HCC/OSCOV.

Brian Milligan
35 Tannock Street,
Balwyn North Vic 3104