Born Francis Lewis Riethmuller at Glenvale, (near Toowoomba) Queensland February 10, 1884.
Died Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital, Wahroonga, NSW April 23, 1965
1957 Australian Rose Annual
p64 Colour picture. Titian (Floribunda). Block by courtesy of the raiser, F. L. Riethmuller, Esq., Turramurra, N.S.W.
1959 Australian Rose Annual
p121. K. J. Travallion. Gold Medal Award [for Titian]
Mr. Riethmuller will be well known to few rose lovers outside Sydney. An elderly man now who has unfortunately suffered indifferent health for the last few years, he is undoubtedly one of the world's most single-minded rose lovers. Mr. Riethmuller studied genetics at the University of Sydney to further his knowledge, taught himself Spanish in order to correspond with Pedro Dot, and is a constant correspondent with Kordes (in German) and of other hybridists in England, Italy and America. His large garden is packed with roses, a fair proportion of them of his own raising. Visitors are invariably enchanted with his garden and his own seedlings arouse great interest. Surprisingly most of these seedlings are not considered marketable, the reason being that they are not types currently considered fashionable. His success with Titian comes as a welcome break following several years of incredibly bad luck. Two years running Mr. Riethmuller told me in one breath of the loss from one cause or another of ninety-nine per cent. of his current crop of seedlings and in the next breath told me of his hopes and plans for the next year, with enthusiasm alight in his eyes. Several of Mr. Riethmuller's seedlings show promise of a great future, and I feel sure that his first Gold Medal will not be his last.
1982 Heritage Roses in Australia Volume Vol 4, No. 4
p6. Several members had made plans to come and Elsie Bischof arrived from Toowoomba to lend a hand. She doesn’t grow Heritage roses but gives me some of her uncles roses to put in the garden. He was Mr. Frank Riethmuller ....... As she lived with him she has knowledge of some which are to be found growing only in his old garden.
1998. Heritage Roses in Australia. Vol 20, No. 2
p55, Richard Walsh. It is interesting how roses spring up in the most unexpected places. You may not all know that I am a teacher. This year, amongst all the fresh-faced, eager year seven students, I noticed the name Melissa Reithmuller. Now that is a somewhat famous name with Rosarians and a not all that common one at that. I therefore asked her if she had a relative by the name of Frank, but it did not ring a bell with her. I suggested she ask at home, after I told her a little of the reason for his fame. She came back and said that he was her Grandad’s uncle !
2005 Heritage Roses in Australia journal Vol 27, No. 4
p8 Penny McKinlay. Now take Reithmuller, a Toowoomba boy who grew up here, taught at Toowoomba Grammar School, then because of asthma, moved to Charters Towers, and eventually to Sydney where he began to breed roses.
2012 Heritage Roses in Australia Inc. journal Vol 34, No.
p38, Eric Timewell. Frank Riethmuller's niece Elsie.
2012 Australian Rose Annual
p102. Eric Timewell. I am German. Frank Riethmuller's Breeding.
Australian Rose Annuals
Riethmuller, F. (Sydney NSW) Nora Cuningham 1957-135
Riethmuller, F. L. (Turramurra, NSW) Co-operative rose breeding 1955-112
Riethmuller, Frank Picture. 1959-24
Riethmuller, Francis L. (NSW) Wins the T. A. Stewart Mem Award 1960-102
Riethmuller, Frank (Turramurra, NSW) Roses from seed 1960-118
Many of Frank Riethmuller's roses may have been bred earlier than their registered dates and many were named after racehorses. Refer Comment from Eric Timewell.
