Victoria

Event Calendar

• 2026 Annual National Conference

  25 September - 28 September at Orange Civic Theatre

  Orange NSW Conference 2026 Fruits of Orange, Exploring Central Western NSW *** SAVE THE DATES *** Ma...

Working Bees

Working bees are one way we support custodians of private historic gardens and demonstrate that we value their contribution and the assets they maintain.

Details of the working bee for 2026 will be listed soon.

Please reply to Fran Faul by the Thursday before the date so the owners know catering numbers.  Also please indicate if you require transport or, if you have your own transport and are willing to drive others and require directions to the properties.

Please wear appropriate clothing and bring any garden tools you like to work with. Lunch and morning tea will be supplied.

Email Fran Faul (franfaul@gmail.com) for all enquires and details.

Oral History Update

The Branch conducts oral histories from time to time. These are added to the AGHS National Oral History Collection and lodged with the State Library of Victoria as historical records. We thank the people who gave up their time and recollections to provide a wealth of knowledge for garden historians and interested parties.

If you know of any prominent Victorians in the garden history world, including non-members, whom you think should have their history recorded, please contact the branch.

Historic Gardens in Victoria

Victoria contains many significant historic gardens and cultural landscape and recording them is an important part of our commitment.

The following garden histories are available under “Shop” on the website for free download or purchase:

• Harbury
• Goronga
• Umina
• Longacres
• Titanga
• Belmont
• Bishopscourt
• Buda
• Burnley Gardens
• Claremont
• Murndal
• Turkeith and Mooleric
• Wombat Park

Articles and snippets of information about historic gardens in Victoria:

• A new Edna Walling garden?

Advocacy Update – AGHS Vic Branch February 2026

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Victoria, Electric Line Clearance Regulations
In January 2026 a response was made on behalf of the branch to DEECA’s survey re the remaking of the Electricity Safety (Electric Line Clearance) Interim Regulations 2025 in support of their aim to reduce the impact of pruning clearances on trees.

Camperdown Arboretum Draft Master Plan, Camperdown
The branch made a submission to the Shire of Corangamite re the proposed Draft Master Plan in late 2025. It was critical of the proposed general over planting of the site due to a generous gift of a tree collection and the inappropriateness of many of the proposed species, which would substantially change the character of the existing Arboretum.

HV McKay Memorial Gardens, Sunshine
Early in 2025 Melbourne Airport Rail (MAR) advised the Friends that proposed works for the Sunshine Station hub in 2026 will not affect the Gardens. Later in 2025, however, the Friends were advised by Brimbank City Council that an Exclusion Zone has been created in the Gardens adjacent to the Aviation Fuel line which is to be decommissioned, and no new planting is oossible within the zone. Unfortunately, the Friends have been unable to find out why the Exclusion Zone has been created and if any works by MAR will be undertaken there.

Draft Master Plan, Royal Park, Parkville
Submissions were made by individual AGHS members as part of the community consultation, commenting on the proposed expansion of formal sports grounds and its potential conflict with the natural landscape and biodiversity and need for landscape design input. The outcome can be seen at participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/royal-park-master-plan-review/communityconsultation. Site Office Landscape Architecture, collaborating with other consultants including Ron Jones, have been appointed to oversee the final draft of the Master Plan.

Heritage Victoria Carlton Gardens Planning Application
A submission to Heritage Victoria re the implementation of the Tree Management and Replacement Strategy suggesting alternative tree species, while supportive of the introduction of new garden beds. It was unsuccessful in modifying the tree selection.
Ballarat Botanic Gardens Draft Master Plan 2025-2045, Lake Wendouree In early 2025 the branch reviewed the draft plan and supported the extensive public consultation process and the generally appropriate appraisal and consideration of the heritage aspects of these Gardens.

Wombat Park, Daylesford
The 2019 nomination of Wombat Park to the Victorian Heritage Register has been delayed yet again. Heritage Victoria previously advised that the assessment would be made in the 2024-25 financial year, but later advice has been that it is no longer high priority due to an influx of nominations and lack of staff at Heritage Victoria and that Wombat Park already has local government protection with a Heritage Overlay.

The Gong Reservoir, Buninyong Botanic Gardens, Buningyong
The efforts of the Friends of Buningyong Botanic Gardens, supported by various submissions by AGHS, have been unsuccessful .In defeating the City of Ballarat’s proposal to rebuild the reservoir’s dam wall, thereby allowing the removal of many existing trees. It is unknown if there has been any progress in appointing a contractor, who will be required to obtain a Heritage Victoria permit.

Projects

Relationship development with Trust for Nature, TFN (Memorandum of Understanding signed June 2023)

The foundation event for this relationship was held at the Heathmont property ‘Uambi’ in July 2024. An AGHS representative spoke about the cultural history of the landscape followed by a TFN representative leading the group through the bushland reserve, highlighting ecological challenges, specimens and plant group relationships. Research is underway to support the publication of a history of this cultural landscape in 2026.

A similar style event was held in October 2025 with TFN, at Harbury in Pakenham Upper. This property has a close relationship to nearby Goronga, for which AGHS has published both a written history and pictorial essay. The research effort for this property has produced a booklet "Diana Craig and Harbury Reserve" which was published in November 2025. This publication, setting out the background of the creator of Harbury (Craig) and the cultural landscape, is available in digital format (free to members) or in hard copy for purchase ($20 for members, $30 for non-members).

Further cultural landscape histories are planned as the relationship between the two organisations develops. The plan is for both AGHS and TFN to mount these publications on their respective websites, in accordance with the mutual benefit provisions of the MOU.