Campsis Newsletter No. 19
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No. 19 November 2002 Campsis Newsletter of the Association of Friends of Botanic Gardens Inc. A0026805Z ISSN 1320-8578 Campsis radicans (Trumpet Flower) Beverley Graham 1994 From the President HE ASSOCIATION’S 2002 CONFERENCE Finally, Peter Shepherd, CEO of the School of was held in Ballarat, Buninyong, Daylesford Forestry, Creswick, and a senior lecturer at the Tand Castlemaine on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of School of Forestry, Melbourne, spoke on ‘The November. I am writing this on the 4th, and am Different uses of Botanical Gardens in Australia and delighted to tell you that it was a very happy and Asia’. successful weekend. There were 120 persons who On Saturday evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner attended the Conference, 106 on the Friday and the at Craig’s Royal Hotel, where Eugene Kneebone, a Saturday, 100 at the Conference dinner and 75 who semi-retired senior manager with local government, toured the three Botanic Gardens on the Sunday. was the speaker. His talk was inspired by a visit to The scene was set with a beautiful sunny and warm the new Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane, relating spring Friday evening in Ballarat. Our guides were life’s experiences to a garden. on hand and took our guests on tours of the Gardens Sunday was the day when we visited the Bunin- and the Conservatory. The highlight was a special yong, Wombat Hill (Daylesford) and Castlemaine tour of our developing Wetland Area, led by Ian Botanic Gardens, led by John Hawker, of Heritage Rossiter, Manager of the Botanical Gardens and Lake Victoria, and Ian Rossiter. They began by telling us Wendouree. Ian explained the reasons behind the of the work being done to restore the Buninyong development of the area as a Wetland, its design and Gardens. After a very welcome morning tea we its planting plans. moved on to Daylesford, where the sun shone and The remainder of the evening was spent catching we had a most informative walk through the Gardens up with Friends met at past Conferences and meeting with local Friends. John Hawker’s knowledge of the new Friends. We were particularly pleased to individual trees, when they were planted and where welcome Helen Lister-Reid from Darwin, Alexander other specimens were to be found, was quite (an environmentalist from India, who came with astounding. We are especially grateful to John for Friends from Albury), and Friends from Portland, making this such a special day. the group that joined the Association in the past After lunch on the lawns of Wombat Hill we year. Another came from St Kilda, where a Friends moved on to Castlemaine, where their Friends were group was recently formed and may soon be a new waiting to welcome us. Again, we learned much Member of the Association. about their beautiful Botanic Gardens from John and On Saturday we moved to the Lecture Theatre in from Annie O’Shannasy, the President of the the Brewery Complex of the University of Ballarat. Castlemaine Friends. Once more, we were given All the speakers gave us much to think about, as delightful and welcome refreshment. On return to well as entertaining us. Ken Allan, a past the Robert Clark Centre in the Ballarat Gardens Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, some 40 of the conferers enjoyed a barbecue tea and a Melbourne, now the General Manager of the Garden tour of the nursery complex. On Monday morning of St Erth, spoke on ‘The Role of Botanic Gardens the few visitors still in Ballarat visited Noel Main’s in the Community’. The topic of Rod May, fascinating cactus and succulent garden. Chairman of the Organic Federation of Australia, As with past Conferences, there was a great deal was ‘Global food supply, sustainability and the of planning and many people helping behind the importance of organic agriculture in satisfying the scene, at least 50 from the four Friends groups. needs of farmers, consumers and the poor’. Chloe Success can only be achieved with such help. Munro, Secretary, Victorian Government Department I am particularly grateful to the Friends in of Natural Resources and Environment, spoke about Buninyong, Daylesford and Castlemaine, who so the role of the Department. Michael McCoy, garden willingly joined those in Ballarat to make the designer and writer, told us about ‘The shared vision Conference so successful, and who entertained those of the designer and the gardener’. Sarah Guest, attending the Conference. I also thank the staff at all author of many garden books and journalist for The four Gardens, who gave wonderful support and extra Age for more than 12 years, spoke about ‘Modern work for this special weekend. We can all now look forward to the next Confer- 2004. Pauline Wicksteed from Canberra joined the not available for works in the Gardens, and this is Committee at a meeting on the Friday evening. not helpful when applying for dollar grants. She will lead those in Canberra preparing for the Having received a small grant from the Shire 2004 Conference. Council we are now in the process of placing a new We should now like to hear your comments on interpretative sign at the old nursery site. the Ballarat Conference. If it did not cover some Kevin Walsh has completed the initial work of areas that concern you, please let us know, as that the Rose Garden redevelopment. The original will help in the planning for 2004. planting map shows that the roses were planted in Sincere good wishes to you all for the Festive alphabetical order! We are awaiting the spring Season, and good luck to all our gardens during the season to positively identify the present plantings present drought. before moving on to plans for the redevelopment. The 2002 Conference has been a major under- Joan Garner taking for our small group this year. We continue to lead tours for interested parties, including school groups and other Friends. Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Trish Addis Gardens Secretary E HAVE MUCH PLEASURE in reporting Wthe end of an exceptional and, I believe, first Friends of the Wombat Hill Botanic national Association of Friends Conference. Gardens Co-hosting this event with Buninyong, Castlemaine and Wombat Hill (Daylesford Friends) groups E WERE PARTICULARLY GLAD to created new challenges and opportunities. Joan Wwelcome those attending the 2002 Conference Garner’s report is much more detailed. Suffice it to to our Gardens on Sunday 3 November. The say that the combined efforts of our many hard and Gardens were especially lovely with rhododendrons happy workers made for a most successful and busy and camellias in full bloom. Some of the beds for programme of presentations and, of course, annuals were planted in the following week. socialising and networking. Our group has been given permanent space at the Our own Ballarat Gardens fairly gleamed and it Tourist Information Centre and will have a display was a real treat to be introduced for the first time to there, changing with the seasons. the Gardens of our co-hosts through John Hawker’s The last Taylor and Sangster Lecture for 2002 excellent and informative tour. has been held. They have not been as well attended On a more day-to-day basis, we can report that as in the past, but excellent presentations have been the trial for the vandalism to our Stoddart collection made by the speakers. We are grateful to Val Pyers, has been completed. Two youths have been given a our Past President, for his excellent organisation. custodial sentence and a substantial financial penalty. We are pleased to have begun more hands-on The future home for the collection of statues is activity in the Gardens, with weeding and caring for still to be determined (more news in a future an allotted bed, which we hope to be able to restore Campsis). However, it is projected that the to its former glory. complete collection of 12 statues will be on display We still await confirmation of Heritage Status for to the public as a complete collection for the first the Gardens. time since 1993 by next year’s Begonia Festival. Yet another reason to hie back to Ballarat. Shirley Falkinder Lorraine Powell Friends of the Australian National President Botanic Gardens, Canberra HE FRIENDS OF THE ANBG have had a busy Tyear so far, with a variety of activities, including Friends of the Castlemaine Botanic a successful visit to Bundanoon, walks and Gardens talks, and a floral art exhibition. Most recently, the Friends-sponsored Annual Gardens Photographic E HAVE HAD MEETINGS with the Shire Competition for High School and College students Wand their Heritage Adviser, trying to ascertain was held, with prizes totalling $2700 being awarded. what is the best course of action to implement The judges commented on the very high standard of a Heritage Study, to possibly revamp the present the photographs. modern eyesore of a barbecue shelter or to reconstruct The Gardens staff and some existing Guides took the previous shelter, and also how to implement a part in the training of a new intake of Volunteer Study before making grant applications to restore the Guides, bringing the total number of Guides to former tea rooms. So far we have met only mild around sixty. Guides continue to lead walks twice interest. The tea rooms are in desperate need of daily, increasing to three times daily in the summer repair, but we need to have community support for months, in addition to booked walks for various tour and local groups. The growing Friends held a successful plant sale Director of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, is an ex in April and will hold a Mini Sale on 23 November, officio member and has attended meetings in this from 9 a.m.