Each year the AGHS hold a national conference in a different region within Australia. The first conference was held in Melbourne in 1980 where the Society was formed. Since then Conferences have been held in the Blue Mountains and Sydney in NSW, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Mt Gambier in South Australia, Toowoomba in Queensland and Perth in Western Australia.
Members and non members are invited to attend one and a half days of lectures by stimulating international and national speakers who are specialists in their fields, including garden design, architecture, garden history and cultural history.
The program always includes a day and a half of visits to many wonderful historic and contemporary public and private gardens. Extra days of garden visits are usually offered as an optional extra.
34th Annual National Conference
Armidale, NSW
17 – 21 October 2013
The 34th Annual National Conference of the Australian Garden History Society ‘Gardens with altitude: the high lean country of New England’
The Northern NSW sub-branch invites you to attend the 34th Annual National Conference to be based in Armidale from 17 – 21 October 2013. For over 150 years, and sometimes through many generations, old and new gardeners in the New England region have dreamed of and developed pleasure gardens, large homestead gardens, and small town gardens, and continue to triumph over weather patterns, old and new, as well as embracing the distinctive local landscape.
We invite you to see the results, as well as hear outstanding speakers explaining how these gardens have been developed and maintained. There will also be many opportunities to enjoy the natural landscape, cuisine, wines, crafts, and art of the region.
More information to come in the Jan/Feb/March issue of Australian Garden History.
33rd Annual National Conference
Ballarat, Victoria
9-11 November 2012
The 33rd Annual National Conference of the Australian Garden History
Society ‘Gardens of a Golden Era’ was held in Ballarat, the jewel in the crown
of the Victorian goldfields. With a population of nearly 100,000 people, Ballarat
celebrates its past while continuing to grow.
With the discovery of rich alluvial goldfields in the 1850s thousands flocked
to Ballarat from around the world to seek their fortune. The resultant wealth
has left an outstanding urban landscape with wide boulevards, grand Victorian
architecture, historic precincts, public statuary, Lake Wendouree and the Ballarat
Botanical Gardens, said to be the finest regional botanical gardens in Australia
with many significant trees and buildings. Ballarat is reputed to have the greatest
concentration of public statuary in any Australian city. The colourful history
includes the Eureka Rebellion in 1854, often linked to the birth of democracy in
Australia.
In contrast to the 2011 conference venue (Maryborough Qld), Ballarat has hot
dry summers and cool wet winters with occasional snow. Although the climate is
officially described as moderate, many regard the winter as severe. The date of the
conference has been fixed to take advantage of the milder spring weather.
The conference program will reflect the heritage of Ballarat and locate the city
and region in their geological and historical context and combines lectures with
garden visits.
32nd Annual National Conference, Maryborough, Queensland
19, 20, 21 August 2011
Conference papers will be published in a special edition of the Queensland Review which can be purchased from Australian Academic Press by completing the order form.
30th Annual National Conference, Geelong, Victoria
16-18 October 2009
2009 Conference Proceedings now available for viewing (8Mb).
26th Annual National Conference, Perth, Western Australia
14-16 October 2005
2005 Conference Proceedings now available for viewing. (1.1Mb).
25th Annual National Conference, Sydney, NSW
14-17 October 2004
2004 Conference Proceedings now available for viewing. (1.1Mb).
TOURS
The AGHS regularly conducts specialised tours throughout Australia.
The Society always endeavours to engage leaders who are
knowledgeable
and highly skilled in conducting tours.
These tours are wonderful opportunities to explore particular areas
or themes in garden history and visit gardens rarely open to the
public. Numbers are limited giving participants every chance to
interact with leaders, garden owners and other participants.
Each year the AGHS holds a tour in association with the National Conference.
From time to time AGHS Branches conduct excellent tours in regional areas.
Look through the activities under Branch
pages to find one which may interest you.
