Interview Recording
Interview Transcript
Marion Blackwell interviewed on 15 May 2024 by Caroline Grant and Patsy Vizents
Synopsis
Marion was born and raised in the northern New South Wales region of the Great Dividing Range, close to the Queensland border and because of the isolation, was schooled via correspondence lessons and School of the Air. She developed her love of plants and landscapes through knowledge of the mountain country of her home, learning Aboriginal nomenclature and studying certain local plants. It was not until she was encouraged to go to University that Marion received formal education in Mycology and Botany in Sydney.
When in Sydney, she designed gardens and developed her plant and scientific knowledge as a student but then following that, through teaching Mycology at the University of Sydney. She mentions the reaction of established landscape designers and Societies in Sydney against Australian plants in domestic and public landscape designs. The European and English design tradition and plants were the preferred “style” and the native plants were referred to as “That scruffy old stuff from the bush”.
Marion married and eventually she and her family moved to Western Australia and she quickly realised that there was not a great deal of knowledge of native plants and certainly no literature on the subject. She acknowledges Malcolm French, a travelling salesman for Elders for establishing himself as the major Eucalyptologist after many years of travelling to rural areas of Western Australia and seeking knowledge on trees by asking locals. She credits French for educating botanists and those in the industry on Eucalyptus varieties and publishing the information in accessible language. Marion talks about the beauty of the landscapes away from the city, the challenges involved in collecting and mapping plants in WA and the larger challenges she had as a woman in the field of botany.
Marion is credited with saving the Port Jackson fig tree in front of Cloisters on St Georges Terrace in the city of Perth in 1971. She discusses how this was done. She is also the lead designer for Harold Boas Gardens in West Perth in 1974, where she fought to introduce Australian plants into the landscaped public garden space. Among her many achievements is designing the gardens throughout Murdoch University. These gardens are marvellous examples now of mature Australian plants that create spaces and areas that showcase specific specimens and varieties of WA and Australian species, setting Murdoch University apart from others as a bush garden campus. These gardens reflect her knowledge and interest in how Australian plants can flourish in different micro climates and conditions.
Marion is considered a pioneering landscape architect and ecologist in Western Australia but she is more than that. Marion champions the Australian land and plants as survivors and has worked with indigenous people on conservation issues. She supported and worked for world heritage listing of specific landscapes in Australia and as such is a mentor for environmental and conservation workers throughout the country.