Publication Category: National Oral History Collection

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript John Hawker interviewed on 2 May 2024 by Kate Cregan   Synopsis John Hawker was born in Melbourne and – along with his parents, brother and sister – moved his to his paternal grandparents’ dairy […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Tim Entwisle interviewed on 28 March 2024 by Kate Cregan Synopsis Tim was born in 1960 Nhill in the Mallee of Victoria, to schoolteacher parents, Betty and John (d.1966), and has two younger brothers, along […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Kathy Wright interviewed on 19 March 2024 by Kate Cregan   Synopsis In 1939 Kathy was born at Maffra and grew up in Gippsland, with her parents, maternal grandmother and four siblings, on a dairy […]

Interview Recording Part 1: Part 2:   Interview Transcript Fran and Mal Faul interviewed on 19 April 2024 by Dr Kate Cregan Synopsis Fran and Mal Faul were both born and raised in Melbourne. Fran was born in 1942, grew […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Jerry de Gryse interviewed on 26 April 2024 by Jean Elder Synopsis The interview with America-born landscape architect Jerry de Gryse is a considered reflection on his professional journey and the personal values that inform […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Peter Holmes interviewed in August 2003 by Myfanwy Thompson   Synopsis Peter talks about working as a young man with the noted gardener and garden designer, Paul Sorenson at “Mereworth”, an historic garden in the […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Sally Johannsohn interviewed on 28 August 2024 by Jean Elder   Synopsis Sally Johannsohn’s Hobart home sits in a spectacular cool climate garden in the hills overlooking Hobart.  Surrounded by a forest of Eucalyptus regnans, […]

The Australian Garden History Society has built a significant national oral history collection of 80 recordings, with more in the pipeline. Interviews have been recorded in every state and the ACT (not yet in the Northern Territory). A large proportion […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript John Dwyer interviewed on 1 March 2024 by Tim Entwisle John Dwyer interview summary Synopsis John Dwyer tells us about his family, his background and his contributions to gardens and landscape heritage. Born and raised […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Neville McKinnell interview on 16 August 2024 by Jean Elder   Synopsis The McKinnell family has proudly maintained a connection to one of Tasmania’s most remarkable country houses, Clarendon, for over 70 years. Located near […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Tonia Cochran interviewed on 7 March 2024 by Jean Elder   Synopsis Melbourne-born Dr. Tonia Cochran moved to Tasmania in the late 1980s while completing her Ph.D. in marine zoology. During that time she discovered […]

Interview Recording Part one: Part two: Part three: Part five: Length of interviews: 1 hour 9 minutes. Note: Part 4 is not included. Interview Transcript Sir Owen Croft interviewed on 23 & 24 April 2018 by John Maurer   Synopsis […]

Interview Recording Part one: Part two:   Interview Transcript Marilyn Pidgeon interviewed on 1 May 2024 by Liz Chappell with Lynne Walker Synopsis Marilyn Pidgeon recounts how her childhood in Tasmania inspired the creation of her later much visited and […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Ann Cripps interviewed on 25 August 2023 by Jean Elder Synopsis In 1981 the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Garden History (AGHS) was formed. Hobart born author and garden history consultant Ann Cripps has played […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Lynda Skipper interviewed on 10 May 2024 by Liz Chappell and Lynne Walker   Synopsis Lynda Skipper and her late husband Bill came to live at Ollera Station, west of Guyra, Northern NSW, in 1984. […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Tim Hughes and Sal Molesworth interviewed on 12 May 2024 by Liz Chappell and Lynne Walker    Synopsis Tim Hughes and Sal Molesworth moved to Lilburn, originally an outstation for Rangers Valley Station, near Glen […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Christine Swan interview on 14 June 2017 by Liz Chappell   Synopsis Christine Swan came to live at Byron Station in Northern NSW when she married Bill in 1964. She grew up in the Inverell […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Bill Swan interviewed on 14 June 2017 by Liz Chappell Synopsis Bill Swan grew up at Byron Station, Inverell in Northern NSW where he lived at the time of the interview. His grandparents purchased Byron […]

Interview Recording Part one – 19 Oct 2023 Part two – 19 Oct 2023 Part three – 1 Feb 2024 Part four – 1 Feb 2024   Interview Transcript Greg I Johnson interviewed on 19 October 2023 by Roslyn Burge […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Will Todd interviewed on 11 March 2020 by Liz Chappell   Synopsis One of the best-preserved early town gardens is Bona Vista on the southern outskirts of Armidale. The two-storey home in local blue brick […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Bob Cherry interviewed on 11 Sep 2023 by Jean Elder Synopsis Childhood memories of the people and places associated with gardens are frequently mentioned in recalling life stories.  Bob Cherry is no exception.  From a […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Jocelyn Mitchell interviewed on 26 May 2003 by Jane Holth Synopsis Jocelyn Mitchell discusses how she became involved as a gardener and member of the Australian Garden History Society through moving to and living at […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Carolyn Robinson interviewed on 25 June 2019 by Liz Chappell Synopsis Carolyn Robinson has created two significant gardens at her homes, Glenrock and Eagle’s Bluff, near Tenterfield in Northern NSW, since 1992. She has designed […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Bob and Kerrie Crothers interviewed on 8 December 2017 by Liz Chappell with Jenny Sloman   Synopsis For over fifty years, Bob and Kerrie Crothers have promoted the joy of gardening and the importance of […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Vicki, Jonathan and Michael Taylor interviewed on 16 May 2018 by Marilyn Pidgeon with Lynne Walker Synopsis This interview records the tree restoration work of the Taylor family at ‘Terrible Vale’, Kentucky, NSW. Since the […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Will Fletcher interviewed on 28 March 2023 by Jean Elder   Synopsis Will Fletcher arrived in Tasmania in 1976 at the age of 22 after spending several years studying Natural Resources at the University of […]

Interview Recording   Interview Transcript Mark Geeves interviewed on 3 May 2023 by Jean Elder   Synopsis Mark Geeves was born into a long-established family of gardeners and orchardists in the picturesque Huon Valley, Southern Tasmania.  His mother Kay Geeves […]

Interview Recording     Interview Transcript Linda Green interviewed on 1 October 2021 and 17 February 2023 by Patsy Vizents (with appendix)   Synopsis Linda Green was a member of the West Australian branch of the Australian Garden History Society […]

Interview Recordings Interview 12 November 2019 Part 1 – 1 hour 22 minutes Interview 12 November 2019 Part 2 – 12 minutes Interview 3 July 2020 Part 1 – 1 hour 22 minutes Interview 3 July 2020 Part 2 – […]