Interview Recording
Interview Transcript
Laurel Cheetham interviewed on 11 March 2026 by Lyn Barrett
Synopsis
Laurel Cheetham has given enormous amounts of her time, talents and energy to gardening in its broadest definition.
In this interview with Lyn Barrett on 11 March 2026 many of these activities are described, from development of her own garden through to activism representing local and national organisations in their efforts to conserve plants, gardens and landscapes in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Laurel outlines the influence of her upbringing. She was involved in the family garden, and was influenced by travelling and camping holidays, as well as by her own personal interests in geography and landscape. In addition, Laurel has had a number of mentors which have fuelled her interest in plants and gardens, and she has educated herself along the way.
Laurel and her husband have developed their large garden in Bowral from a blackberry infested paddock to the beautiful garden it is today. In addition to this project, Laurel has been active over many years in a number of local organisations, frequently on their committees or as their chair.
Through her longstanding membership of a number of gardening, history and conservation groups and organisations Laurel has been involved in a great many of the community activities that have shaped the gardening and conservation world in the Southern Highlands over many decades. In her involvement with AGHS Laurel has been on committees and has been the chair of the local Southern Highlands branch. During this time she has assisted with the organisation of two National Conferences in the Southern Highlands. Furthermore, along with her other contributions to AGHS, Laurel has participated in the development of a conservation management plan for the Berrima Bridge Nursery for which the Southern Highlands branch received two awards.