Porkpal, thanks for posting such a variety of photos of Austin roses! His pastels gain the most attention, but he has some lovely deep reds, oranges and white roses too.
The current catalog has quite a few that are thornless or nearly so. Most of his roses have wonderful perfume, unlike many of the other new introductions. I don't spray my Austins, and they have very very little blackspot.
I agree with you that "shrub" fails to capture the beauty, scent and uniqueness of the Austin roses.

I had fun researching Austin and his roses; what a remarkable man!

Thanks for the article. My favorite is Pat Austin.

I love the David Austin Roses.... it's difficult to know how big they will grow though, as some vigorous ones can grow to double height and/or width in South Australia, where they thrive on the warm dry climate.

Very true!