Hi Mel.
I live and garden in the NSW Northern Rivers district and have been experimenting with roses since I moved here from Sydney 10 years ago. This area is classified as 'US zone 9' but really 10 is it's coolest limit when it comes to roses - almost sub-tropical. It's not the ideal area to grow roses but I've had success with a few. I have one David Austin but, embarrasingly, for the life of me, I can't remember the name or locate the original label, which I usually keep. It's been growing happily and flowering for at least 6 years now.
I find that roses classified as ok to (US) zone 10 will do alright but some classified as to 9 can be a bit iffy. One of the best I've grown is Meilands (a French grower)
'Seduction' (zone 5 to 10) - I posted a picture of it in the Oz Garden Gallery site a few weeks ago. The D. A's. you mentioned, Abraham D. and Golden C., are rated for zones 4 to 9. Nine really is the upper limit where I am but they might be ok, its a bit of 'suck it and see'. My source, 'Botanic's Pocket Roses', doesn't list Claire Austin; perhaps it's a new one. If its range is less than 9 then, well, I'd have my doubts.
I've also found roses listed as 'Carpet Roses' do well, not only as spreaders but also as moderate climbers. Anyway Mel, give yours a good watering-in with a sea-weed extract and in about 8 weeks give 'em a dose of blood 'n bone and chicken manure mixed with a half a scoop of dolomite lime, water it in well and cross your fingers: nothing to lose but your ole 'smoker's cough' as they (use to) say.
Regards
Bill

Hi Mel, I'm new to Northern NSW and new to rose growing here (or anywhere!) as well. I've been growing roses (in pots) here now for about 3 years. Not only do I live just south of the border (Byron area), where it's humid, but i'm also smack-bang on the beach. So have some coastal carry-on to deal with - which is the main reason I grow in pots - wouldnt care to plant my dahhlings in the sand here..

When I first mentioned my plan to grow roses in this area, I got all sorts of well-meaning (but WAY BORING) warnings against trying to grow roses in this area (people didnt think growing in pots would make any difference), but to be honest, I reckon I've done well. I've got 14 roses growing fairly well (some thriving, some just cruising) now and I've never tried to select roses good or not good for humidity/coastal conditions - I just buy them on 'prettiness" and "fragrance strength". Last year, Treloar threw in a few freebies so those ones were a wildcard obviously - and not selected for prettiness or fragrance strenght...

Anyway, I'll give you a rundown of what i've got bc i've had mixed results (all are alive and doing well - but some are absolutely thriving and some are just cruising along with their various issues (blackspot wotnot) as i say).

Jude The Obscure (fragrance lychee, apricot, lemonade). Adores it here. (good bc i adore it right back!). Barely even gets blackspot can you believe? Me either. no other diseases. I've nicknamed it St Jude bc it really does have saintly behaviour!

Sacred Heart (fragrance meringue). same.

Spirit of Peace (fragrance not sure yet, can't nail an analogy yet). likes it here also..

Mon Petit Chou (no analogy for fragrance yet). same.

Alister Clark Blueboy (fragrance damask with heavy cinnamon - spicy!). same, but a bit more suseptible to blackspot.

Duchesse De Brabant (fragrance musky-peppery...). I would marry this rose. it gets some blackspot occasionally but i dont care. it's sooo pretty and such a delightful, strong fragrance that basically it's my favourite-in-the-garden and can behave however it wants.

Best Friend. Up and down. who knows what it's problem is (not me YET!) - sometimes it's thriving, sometimes it hates my guts (not your typical best friend, eh?).

Neptune. He's newish. I dont think he's loving it up here. he keeps putting out STUNNING sized (and fragrance-strong) blooms, but he seems to be struggling with leaf deformities and stuff. maybe mosaic but i dont see those telltale patterns...so yeh, dunno about him yet. wouldnt give you the nod on this one at this point.

Stanwell Perpetual. this rose..oh god, i really love it, but goodlord, what a handful it's been to work out how it likes to be treated! it is THE THIRSTIEST rose known to man... i give it a drink every single day (other roses just every second day) and still it cries (wilts and sags). for a while it was getting leaf tip burn, not sure how i remedied that...and then it got really...

Have you got all those in pots Rex? My experience is that roses aren't really suited to pot culture as they are gross feeders and will fill the pot with roots in no time at all; ok if you've nothing better to do I guess. I found that a potted rose needs the potting medium changed at least every 6 months to ensure a healthy and happy flowerer. Mel, any nursery worker, horticulturist, rose grower/supplier, garden guide, rose growing book, etc., will tell you a salt-laden, humid environment coupled with sandy soil is NOT the ideal conditions for rose growing, and that advice is not "boring". Experiment by all means, as I do, but heeding what they say can/will save you money, time and effort.
Good luck.
Bill

Yep all in pots - not keen to throw them in the sand (literally, i'm 15m off the beach), and as I say some are doing great, others are proving tricky. Thanks for the tip off re: changing the potting mix every six months. I've read that about 2 years is the go, but I've actually been Ignoring that "boring" advice as well (heeh!), and repotting yearly. I'm thinking now though (having read the terrific info on pot culture over at the container forum) that I might repot my roses into Al's Gritty Mix this time round. Just busy locating a few more of the ingredients for it. Got four more bare-rooted roses arriving this week. It's funny to me, to see some of my roses barely notice these "not ideal" conditions you speak of, while others definitely do notice. I think that's why I keep experimenting - I'm only new to this but it's surprising to me to find that roses have their own personalities. I thought they'd just be pretty much "all the same" in their general likes and dislikes... I'm finding out otherwise.

Yeah 15 metres off the beach! pots really are the only way to go with roses, Rex. Garden-wise I've found a few (roses) do step out of the norm, that is according to the experts' advice, but overall not many. Diseases are the on-going problem: black-spot, dieback, aphids, the main afflictions. It's a bit like trying to grow azaleas up here; azalea lacebug being the main problem. They say that while the bugs uglify the appearance of the plant it doesn't affect the flowers; the flowers look ok but there are fewer of them. If I bother with roses, and, like peonies and clematis - though forget peones, but the odd clematis might be worthwhile; I'm having moderate success with some varieties, it's a real is trial and error though. With roses, here in this northern-rivers' climate, I've found that those suited to at least (US) climatic zone 10 - and most roses are only suitable up to zone 9 (are there any roses suitable to the tropics?) Are really the only ones worth the effort. It takes a season or two, you know, to see if they establish or not.

Regards
Bill