Stuart Read
Telephone: 9873 8554 bh. 9326 9468 ah.
stuart1962@bigpond.com ah, or
stuart.read@planning.nsw.gov.au bh
Chair:
Stuart Read
Vice-Chair:
Murray Hook
Secretary:
Helen Bryant
Treasurer:
Peter Cousens
Committee:
Rosemary Potts
Jeanne Villani
Malcolm Wilson
Welcome to the Sydney and Northern New South Wales Branch page. With over 320 members we are the second largest branch, centred in and around Sydney with many members in the Blue Mountains, Central West and Northern regions of NSW. Since November 2005 we have a New England Sub-Branch which is actively organising events in the state's north - a very distinctive part of Australia with four clear seasons, rich soils and (usually) good rains - not bad ingredients for gardening... To contact them email the Chairman, Bill Oates, at: woates@une.edu.au.
July
Date: Wednesday 15th July 6.30pm for 7pm - 8.30pm
Event: Garden of Memory - Talk by John Pearman about Cairnsfoot in Arncliffe see article page 7 of Branch Cuttings Issue 29.
Venue: Annie Wyatt Room, National Trust Centre, Observatory Hill
Cost: AGHS members: $20 Guests: $30 includes light refreshments.
Bookings essential - tickets will not be available at the door.
August
Date: Wednesday 5th August 6pm - 8.30pm
Event: AGM (short meeting) and talk by well known landscape architect Bruce Mackenzie - Exploring Six Gardens – Five Houses and One Apartment - see article page 4 of Branch Cuttings Issue 29.
Venue: Annie Wyatt Room, National Trust Centre, Observatory Hill
Cost: AGHS members: $20 Guests: $30 includes light refreshments
Bookings essential. Tickets for the talk will not be available at the door
Date: Sunday 30th August 2pm - 4pm
Event: Joan Lawrence will lead a walk from Cremorne Point to Mosman Bay wharf including Ruby’s Garden in Cremorne see article page 6 of Branch Cuttings Issue 29.
Venue: Cremorne -Meeting point to be confirmed on booking - NB buses go to both ferry wharfs
Cost: AGHS members: $20 Guests: $30 includes light refreshments.
Bookings essential.
September
Date: Sunday 20th September 2pm - 4pm
Event: Chris & Margaret Betteridge and James Adcock will lead a walk and a talk at Prince Henry Hospital - see article page 5 of Branch Cuttings Issue 29.
Venue: Little Bay - meeting point to be confirmed on booking
Cost: AGHS members: $20 Guests: $30 includes light refreshments. Bookings essential.
October
Date: Thursday 8th October 6.30pm for 7pm - 8.30pm
Event: Charles Darwin as the Gardener at Down House, Surrey - talk by Max Bourke AM
Venue: Annie Wyatt Room, National Trust Centre, Observatory Hill
Cost: AGHS members: $20 Guests: $30 includes light refreshments. Bookings essential - tickets not available at the door.
Bookings & enquiries for all events above: Telephone: Jeanne Villani: 9997 5995, or email Jeanne@Villani.com.
PLEASE NOTE: Payment confirms Booking. Payments for all events must be made prior to the event by cheque to Australian Garden History Society and mailed to: Peter Cousens, 93 Lennox Street, Newtown, NSW, 2042 or by Internet bank transfer to: Australian Garden History Society Sydney & Northern NSW Branch, ANZ Bank, Centrepoint Branch. BSB 012 040 Account 1017 62565
Payment must include your name and the function you are booking for.
An Individual Membership entitles only that member to the Members Rate.
Members with Household Membership are entitled to Members Rate for anyone living within that household
In June we rambled around Manly and North Head with local experts Alan Yuille and Terry Metherill in patchy drizzle and bursts of sun. Landscape Architect Bruce McKenzie too added great interest to our inspection of ‘version two’ of The Corso, its key central pedestrian artery and nucleus. Manly has interwar, Victorian and modern high-rise housing alongside the grand St. Patrick’s Seminary estate, Archbishop’s ‘Castle’, ex-Defence lands like the former Artillery School now opening up to new uses, the public and revegetating bush. Its raffish atmosphere and fun-loving spirit mask a wildness which still survives around the margins, on North Head, underwater and in its lively pubs and night life. Only some of these were our focus!
In mid July we’ll enjoy a ‘garden of memory’ brought alive by John Pearman. Members may recall John regaling us with peels of laughter about architect & visionary William Hardy Wilson’s ideal city ‘Kurrajong’ in our weekend seminar at Richmond a few years back. Now he brings to life the mansion garden of Cairnsfoot, Arncliffe – through wonderful photographs by Alan Evans taken at its height in the 1940s. This will be a rare treat to savour.
In early August we’ll have a short AGM and enjoy a talk by renowned landscape architect Bruce McKenzie, on gardens large and small he has designed. Better known for his landscape-scale work on bushland parks, urban malls such as Manly’s Corso and the lost rooftop garden on the Readers Digest building in Surry Hills, Bruce is unduly modest and full of surprises: another event not to be missed.
Several committee members are coming to the end of the maximum 9 year term so please give some thought to whether you’d be happy to join and contribute to our branch. If you would be interested, please get in touch with one of the committee before the AGM. We all have differing skills and ideas and these make AGHS what it is.
The AGHS has in the past made a donation to ensure the conservation of a sculpted concrete urn at Norman Lindsay’s home, garden and gallery at Springwood in the Blue Mountains. The National Trust (NSW) is asking for help to restore Lindsay’s wonderful Seahorse Fountain and garden statues.
Some date from 1913 and are very fragile. The fountain is the main feature of the garden and its most photographed view. Major restoration work is needed urgently in order to preserve this. Contact the Trust on ph: 9258 0123 or the website below to make a donation. Photo: Norman and his Seahorse Fountain, c1960 (Source: www.newsletter@nationaltrust.com.au)
Members will be concerned to know that the NSW Heritage Act Amendment Bill passed both houses on 3 June. AGHS made a submission on the Upper House inquiry and another submission on proposed amendments to a number of politicians in a late attempt to have some of the negative changes addressed and this was partly successful. There were minor amendments made in the Upper House requiring the Minister to publish reasons for not implementing Heritage Council recommendations for heritage criteria and for de-listing any State Heritage Register items. This was thanks to lobbying from the Greens and Opposition. This is a backward step for NSW heritage – in a state which in the past had a reputation as a leader in protecting cultural heritage. Of course, positive outcomes are always achieved through people’s actions and commitment rather than by legislation alone. In many areas besides heritage conservation there are examples throughout our history where great outcomes are achieved despite poor, inadequate legislation – it is now up to a concerned public and administrators to work together to ensure our cultural heritage is protected and carefully managed. So remain vigilant and be active! Take an interest in who’s on your Regional Planning Panel and keep them honest!
Recent listings on the NSW State Heritage Register include another section of the Great North Road from the 1830s (between Mt. Manning & Wollombi) and Luna Park at Milson’s Point on Sydney Harbour – an eclectic pair of landscape items both with chequered histories. More info is at http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/09_subnav_03.htm#northroad
Current nominations include Liverpool TAFE, formerly its hospital, designed in part by Francis Greenway with wonderful central garden and main building flanked by Bunya and hoop pines, as drawn lovingly by Hardy Wilson in the 1920s. Anyone wanting to make a submission in support before the deadline of 9/7/09, see http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_06_1.cfm?sort_by=name.
