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Environment and Heritage

Paul Sorensen

Acclaimed landscape architect and nurseryman (1891–1983)

Glennifer Brae garden designed by Paul Sorensen, 2024.
Image Credit: Heritage NSW
 

Location

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About Paul Sorensen

Paul Sorensen (1891–1983) was born in Copenhagen and trained in horticulture at Horsholm Tekniske Skole. He honed his skills working with leading landscape designers on large estates in Denmark and Switzerland; however, the impending war cut his time in Europe short. After coming to Australia, he developed his own distinctive landscape style, ethos and technique in gardens across New South Wales, many of which still stand 100 years later.

Black and white photo of Paul Sorensen dressed in a suit and hat, stands against a wall covered with climbing plants, holding a large rolled-up document or blueprint. Behind him is an ornate window with metalwork designs and trees visible through the glass.
Harold Cazneaux, Paul Sorensen, portrait, 1936.
Image Credit: National Trust of Australia (NSW) Archives

Portrait of Paul Sorensen, 1936

Paul Sorensen trained in horticulture in Copenhagen, working with leading landscape designers and contractors in Denmark and Switzerland. In 1915, he immigrated to Australia due to his pacifism and horror of war. He settled in the Blue Mountains in 1917, initially working as a gardener, but remained interested in design. He set up 2 successive nurseries in Katoomba and Leura, which stocked trees and shrubs imported from New Zealand, England and Europe. His wife and son both worked in the family business.

The ‘outside room’ designer

By the 1920s, Sorenson had begun designing and planting gardens for wealthy clients in the Blue Mountains area. His reputation began to grow, and he was increasingly commissioned to work further afield. Over the next 7 decades, Paul designed over 100 gardens, from Glen Innes in the far north to Cowra and Orange in the west, Wahroonga and Rushcutters Bay in the east and Wollongong and Canberra (ACT) in the south.

Often described as ‘outside rooms’, Sorenson’s gardens were foremost notable for their aesthetic values. He favoured large trees, shrubs and native plants. His designs were particularly distinctive for his mastery in the use of the dry-stone wall technique – and use of paving − combined with a skill in managing dramatic changes of levels in gardens. His signature feature was stone walling using local rock that may have been split or broken to shape, but not noticeably cut with straight edges.

Uniquely Australian designs

Sorensen was also integral to developing new techniques and approaches to landscape design specific to the Australian context. He developed special techniques for enhancing the sandy soils of the Blue Mountains so that these soils could support luxuriant gardens. He also excelled at pruning trees, using theatrical gestures to bring out the ‘spirit’ of a tree.

Sorenson’s gardens blended his European sensibilities with uniquely Australian references, distinguishing them from the typical grand gardens of the time and paving the way for later generations of landscape design. Sorensen had a rare combination of skills, standing out as a master gardener because his expertise was not limited to one facet of gardening. He was not only a skillful designer but also an expert in garden construction. Many of his gardens still survive and several are heritage listed (see the State Heritage Inventory for more information).

Some of Sorensen’s notable commissions

  • Assisting Lady Fairfax (widow of the Sydney newspaper magnate) with the garden of ‘Sospel’ at Leura
  • Redesigning and expanding an existing garden at ‘Mahratta’ Wahroonga in 1925 for the owner of the mercantile firm Samuel Allen and Sons
  • Designing the garden at ‘Everglades’ in Leura for its owner, Henri van de Velde, which is considered a prime example of modernism in Australian garden design
  • Green trees and a stone bench at Everglades House Garden overlooking a lush valley with mountains in the background.
    Everglades garden designed by Paul Sorensen, 2024
    Everglades garden designed by Paul Sorensen, 2024.
    Image Credit: Heritage NSW
  • A lush garden designed by Paul Sorensen, featuring a well-maintained lawn divided by stone pathways. The garden is surrounded by yellow walls with large rectangular openings and an archway. Various green plants and trees provide shade and add to the serene atmosphere.
    Everglades garden designed by Paul Sorensen, 2024
    Everglades garden designed by Paul Sorensen, 2024.
    Image Credit: Heritage NSW

References