The magic of nature in an urban setting, with layers of history that stretch back to the deep past. The Mullum Mullum Valley, a precious coalition of green wedges on the outskirts of Melbourne, comprises some of the larger and better preserved areas of remnant bushland within an outer urban environment. Rich in biodiversity and ecological values, these little green ‘oases’ provide a home for native plants and habitat for wildlife and also, for visitors, a sense of peace and a welcome refuge from the pace and demands of modern life. A place to press the ‘pause’ or ‘reset’ buttons, to slow down and enjoy the natural environment and all that it offers. A chance to connect to country.
The Mullum Mullum Creek Valley is made up of different parks and reserves, each with their own character. There are many places that allow visitors to take time out and simply enjoy the natural environment.
The Mullum Mullum Festival, now in its 18th year, is an annual event, held in either Autumn or Spring, celebrating the biodiversity and the ecological and cultural values of the Mullum Mullum Creek Valley. The Festival features a range of guided walks, talks and activities, held over two successive weekends. The 2018 Festival was hosted in the lead up to National Reconciliation Week, providing opportunities to learn more about Indigenous culture and history, as well as the local environment and its flora and fauna. Continue reading “The Mullum Mullum Festival – Celebrating Biodiversity and Wurundjeri Culture”→
The Melbourne Writers Festival – exploring worlds through words.
Thoughtful conversations, insights, inspiration and ideas … talks on climate change and social change, and an indigenous themed opening night – it’s all been part of the mix at this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival. Hot on the heels of Melbourne’s recent International Film Festival, and soon to be followed by the Melbourne Fringe Festival, this city has certainly earned its reputation as a key cultural centre for creativity and the arts.
Melbourne – a cultural hub for creativity and the arts.
The program for this year’s Melbourne Writers Festival featured a wealth of home-grown Australian talent plus a line up of international guests from various cultural backgrounds. It was an event for thinkers, readers and writers of all genres – from poetry and literature, to photojournalism and non-fiction. In addition to the main presentations, panels and workshops, there was the odd musical interlude and exhibition, sessions for students and a series of outreach events at local libraries.
Centred once again around Federation Square and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), plus some satellite locations, and with around a quarter of the events being offered for free, the Writers Festival remains quite accessible and provides something to suit all tastes. But it is not just for writers and literary types. Featuring over 370 authors, taking part in 300+ events, covering a smorgasbord of topics – from gender and race, to science and science fiction, revolution, activism, and politics in the Trump era – it has been a veritable feast of good food for thought!
Climate change was one of the topics discussed at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
I always find it worthwhile to explore the opportunities to hear directly from those writers and creators who inform or uplift us or who manage to transport us into new worlds through their work and their words. I like to hear ‘the stories behind the stories’, to find out about the inspiration that leads on to publication, and to meet the people behind the bylines.
In this age of technology, what is the future of the written word … and the art of conversation? Many questions to explore, and social issues and ideas to discuss. Away from the presentations, the pop up bar at Fed Square became a centre for socialising and continuing the conversations, with a nearby Readings Festival Bookstore for browsing, and plenty of opportunities to meet authors and get books signed. It’s always a big week when the Writers Festival is in town.
Lisa Kennedy, illustrator of Auntie Joy Murphy’s new book, ‘Welcome to Country’, at a ‘meet the author’ session for school children.
A Gala Opening with an Indigenous Theme
A beautiful, cross-cultural ‘Earth Honouring’ performance (from L to R, by Gina Bundle, Vicki Couzens and Priya Srinivasan), set the scene for the evening.
This year, the highlight for me, was the opening night for the Festival – which featured a celebration of indigenous culture, through performance, music and the spoken word. To kick off the gala evening, Wurundjeri elder, Auntie Joy Murphy, gave a heartfelt ‘Welcome to Country’ – welcoming everyone to the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people and inviting guests to explore and enjoy the festival and its events.
Aunty Joy Murphy, indigenous elder and author, gave the ‘Welcome to Country’ at the gala opening for the Melbourne Writers Festival.
This welcome was followed by a soulful ‘Earth Honouring’ performance, featuring indigenous artists, Vicki Couzens and Gina Bundle, in collaboration with Indian performer, Priya Srinivasan. Inspired by music, movement and the spoken word, this choreographed, cross-cultural piece portrayed feminine energy in motion and in gentle connection to the earth, creating a very grounded and calm tone for the evening. With evocative poetry, the sharing of indigenous language and song, and Vicki Couzens’ heartbeat-like drumming, this enchanting performance followed a recent collaboration between the artists at the pop-up Jaipur Literary Festival in Melbourne. Below is a short video I filmed on my iPhone.
A Thought Provoking Keynote Address
Continuing on with the indigenous theme, Kim Scott, author and Professor of Writing at Curtin University in West Australia, delivered a keynote address about how stories can help create or challenge our sense of national identity. Kim was the first indigenous writer to win the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award, for his novel, Benang, and he won the prize a second time for That Deadman Dance. His latest novel, Taboo, is set in rural Western Australia and tells the story of a group of Noongar people who revisit the site of a massacre.
A thought leader on cultural identity and a proud member of the Noongar community, Kim is also the founder and chair of the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Story Project, which has published a number of bilingual books as part of its work reviving and recording local language.
One of the bilingual books from the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Story Project.
As a writer, Kim Scott’s work challenges the conventional notion and narrative of ‘Australian history’, originally viewed and documented through ‘white’ or European eyes. He shines a light on historical trauma and highlights indigenous connections to culture, language and land. Articulately presented, on the page or in this case, in person, his work integrates the lesser known, shadow side of Australian history and is part of a national conversation that needs to continue.
Indigenous author, Kim Scott. (Image courtesy of MWF/photographer Sorell Wilson)
In his presentation to the literati at the gala, Kim referred to the words of Mark Twain, the noted American author who, after a visit to Australia in the 1890s, commented that Australian history is “always picturesque; indeed, it is so curious and strange … it does not read like history, but like the most beautiful lies.”
“Beautiful lies?” queries Kim. “The fundamentals of Australian history as far as I am concerned, involve stolen country, a tiny percentage of the original population, especially in south-east and south-west Australia, surviving the first 50 years of colonisation, and then an apartheid-like regime for much of our shared history.”
Kim Scott used some archival examples to highlight the pervasive, often derogatory attitudes towards indigenous people following colonisation. His own writing explores a historical narrative which includes an indigenous perspective and his work draws upon important elements of Aboriginal culture and ‘lived experience’, bringing this forward into the national discussion about our shared history and identity.
A page from the 1947 book, ‘Australia’s Coloured Minority: Its Place in the Community’. The author, A.O. Neville, Chief Protector of Aborigines and Commissioner for Native Affairs in WA from 1915 to 1940, articulates the belief that assimilation of Aboriginal people of mixed descent could only occur through ‘breeding out the colour’. (Image courtesy of Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/1496210)
An adept researcher, Kim revealed that he found countless examples in the historical archives that were full of disparaging references to race. His presentation also highlighted how Aboriginal people had tended to be portrayed in literature and lyrics, drawing upon a Slim Dusty song as an example of inherently accepted racism. Indeed, he pointed out that there could be something insidious, a type of ‘poison’ in certain songs and stories.
“Perhaps we have outgrown these stories now?” he asked. Kim welcomes the opportunity for people to review such content through new eyes and to see it for what it is. He indicates that although there is still a long way to go, he believes that times and attitudes are changing and that there is a growing and genuine interest in Aboriginal history, heritage and culture. And he sees the road ahead as a time for healing.
Kim Scott talks about his work with the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Story Project – an initiative aimed at reviving language and sharing culture through stories.
“Perhaps you can understand some of us wanting a different story of identity and belonging in which we might dwell, and of imagining a community that might gather around these stories that we tell” he said.
“The community that gathers around our stories is built up one by one. We are collaborating together in the story we are making, and in the telling and the retelling.” Kim reminds us that our collective story is still being created. “History is never over, it continues.”
A Moving Musical Tribute
Following Kim Scott’s powerful keynote address, the ‘Mission Songs Project’ took to the stage. Presented by Jessie Lloyd and accompanied by singers Emma Donovan, Deline Briscoe and Jessica Hitchcock, this vocal quartet performs songs drawn from the missions, reserves and fringes of townships where indigenous people were relocated.
The Mission Songs Project shares indigenous stories through the revival and performance of songs from the past.
The Mission Songs Project is part of an ongoing initiative to research and present a collection of indigenous songs that were composed and performed from 1900 to 1999. This somewhat gospel-like and moving collection of songs provides an important historical insight into the lives of indigenous people and their experiences of cultural identity, love and loss.
One of the songs in the Mission Songs Project repertoire is about a boat called ‘The Irex’, which used to transport people from the mainland of Queensland over to Palm Island. Many of those who travelled on this boat were displaced or removed as punishment under the Protection of Aborigines Act. They included young children who are now considered part of the ‘Stolen Generation’. ‘The Irex’ was a song that was sung in memory of those lost children and loved ones, as families did not know if they would ever see them again.
Below is a brief video clip, shot on my iPhone, which provides a glimpse into the type of songs and the beautiful voices that bring this quartet and important project to life.
The song lyrics share what day to day life on the missions, settlements and reserves was like, through music. Jessie Lloyd explains that these rare songs consist of almost forgotten stories that have the power to shed light on the history of indigenous elders, families and communities. It is great to see these songs and stories being shared with the wider community.
Rap’d
The indigenous themed gala opening for the Melbourne Writers Festival wrapped up with an after-party and music from DJ Sovereign Trax, with her playlist of music from contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians – including samples from rap and hip hop artists.
Authors, illustrators and performers at the gala party.
DJ Sovereign Trax.
Music from contemporary indigenous artists set the tone for the after-party.
Jessie Lloyd and Jessica Hitchcock from the Mission Songs Project.
Kim Scott chats with guests and signs some books.
Earth honouring performers, Gina Bundle and Vicki Couzens, with Kim Scott at the after-party.
Books from the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Story Project.
Overall, the opening night was a really fitting way to acknowledge the richness and resilience of indigenous culture and stories, shared through words, music and performance, and it provided an opportunity to look to the past as well as the future. This event highlighted that storytelling comes in many forms … and as Kim Scott reminds us, our shared stories in this ancient land continue as we co-create and record them, for the present and for future generations.
The Melbourne Writers Festival is an annual event that runs for 10 days in late August/early September. For further information, visit http://www.mwf.com.au
For further information about the Missions Songs Project, visit missionsongsproject.com
A magical Winter solstice scene at Edendale Farm in Eltham.
In the Southern Hemisphere, as we observe the passing of the ‘Winter Solstice’, it is time to welcome the returning light. Time to tune in to the changing cycles and seasons of nature and embrace the ‘midwinter’! The southern Winter solstice, which falls on the 21st of June, is an astronomical phenomenon that marks the ‘shortest’ day and ‘longest’, darkest night of the year. The blanket of dusk falls early (around 5.15 pm in Melbourne), capping off the days that we experience the least amount of daylight … but also heralding the start of the slow march towards Spring.
Belinda – rugged up and enjoying the gathering.
The sculptural bonfire created by Festive Fires.
A family friendly event.
Time to light up the night with a good old fashioned festive fire and shindig, with friends and family around the ‘village green’. Taking part in a local Winter solstice event can be a fun way to collectively mark the occasion, connect with community and warm up the Winter nights. A small but growing number of local community events are being hosted each year in mid to late June – like the much anticipated ‘Winter Solstice in Eltham’. This year it was held at the beautiful Edendale Farm, a jewel in the crown of this rather creative outer north-eastern suburb of Melbourne, situated near the gateway to the Yarra Valley. As usual, the beautiful sculptural bonfire, created by Festive Fires, was a highlight.
It was lovely to catch up with the eclectic band of musicians who go by the rather unusual name of Moosejaw Rifle Club. Two thirds of the group are teachers and maestros, from the progressive Preshil (an independent school in Kew), who moonlight in this quirky folk/country/bluegrass band, producing their own unique blend of dance-worthy rhythms and harmonies.
A fitting soundscape for a Winter solstice gathering – where it is easy to imagine people from times long past gathering around the village green or at a local farm to celebrate into the night – sharing a communal bonfire, toasting the feast and enjoying the sounds of the town’s music-makers.
Jared and Attila -experimenting with strings.
Rhythm and bluegrass.
Mick and John harmonise.
An aural feast for the senses.
Meanwhile, over in the Northern Hemisphere, folks are observing the ‘Summer Solstice’ or ‘midsummer’. Come December, when the Australian Summer rolls around, we will swap the celebrations on our different sides of the equator.
Historically, solstice events have been cause for celebration across many diverse cultures and countries. While the practice has never completely died out, it does seem to be experiencing somewhat of a revival in interest.
Marking solstice times as special in the annual calendar is believed to date back to neolithic and Bronze Age times. The enigmatic stone monuments built at Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland provide two good examples. Newgrange includes a carefully aligned sight-line that points to the winter solstice sunrise, while the axis of Stonehenge features an orientation aligned with the midwinter solstice sunset.
Preshil teachers and parents enjoy some Winter warmth around a fire, in Kew.
Archeological evidence suggests that the Winter solstice played an important part in monitoring the changing seasons. Lack of food and times of famine could occur over the long winter months. The midwinter festival was an important final feast and community event before deep winter really began. It would be followed by a time of bunkering down and awaiting the first signs of Spring. The solstice was often associated with the pending rebirth of the sun gods and a time of new beginnings. People looked forward to the reawakening of nature and sought blessings for their future crops.
Children at Preshil (the Margaret Lyttle Memorial School) enjoy learning how to stoke a fire.
During the early solstice festivals the sharing of food took on special meaning – symbolising a faith in the return of the sun and the harvest. In pagan days gone by the celebrations – known as the ‘yule’ feast – could last for days. The local community would gather together, celebrating with merriment and live music and enjoying the universal language of food, along with mulled wine or fermented beer.
A Winter treat.
Henry, grower of fine chestnuts.
Today’s Winter solstice events continue to bring people together to share food, wine and music during the darkest of nights, gathering around the warmth of a bonfire. In Melbourne, the inner city Collingwood Children’s Farm hosts a popular annual, family friendly event, as does the village-like CERES (the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) in Brunswick. Some local schools have recently started holding their own events for their local communities, while schools like Preshil in Kew, have been continuing the tradition for many years, seeing solstice celebrations as an important part of the annual school calendar.
Making paper lanterns.
Students perform for the community.
Over the past week, after popping in to the Preshil school community’s event and also heading over to Edendale Farm, in Eltham, I can see why a small but growing number of people believe that the Winter solstice is very much a tradition worth continuing. The nights may be cold outside at this time of year but there is something very warming and heartening in sharing the experience of a mesmerising bonfire or watching a lantern parade at dusk, and enjoying the company of friends, family and others within a local community setting. Not to mention listening to creative music-makers playing live, tasting roast chestnuts and delighting in nourishing Winter soups and the offerings of food stalls, chai tea and toasty hot chocolates with marshmallows. It is a nice ritual that makes for quite a festive and magical evening. I look forward to next year’s events!
A festive fire – good for the spirits.
Tess, at Eltham’s Edendale homestead.
In the meantime, as we snuggle down into our Winter coats and woolies, we can take heart that the days will now start to get longer and Spring is waiting around the corner. The cold, dark wintery days will subside and we will start to emerge from our collective Winter hibernation. The solstice reminds us of that. But it also invites us to go inwards – to spend more time in cosy indoor spaces, offering opportunities for a bit more contemplation and reflection, before the warmer weather once again draws us out and about.
* All photos and videos for this post were shot on an iPhone 7 Plus. I love the portability and versatility of this ‘camera in your pocket’! It certainly had its work cut out for it with the low light levels.
Sustainability in action, on a local level, within a global context.
The first ‘Transition Town’ initiative was established in Totnes, in Devon, England, in 2006 … and new Transition Towns have been popping up ever since, across the UK and in many other countries, including Australia. Victoria alone is home to more than 60 initiatives, at varying stages of development or maturity.
Each local Transition group takes on a life of its own, according to the skills and goals of the local community that supports it. Inspiration and ideas are drawn from the local context as well as other Transition initiatives, while resources, training and support are also available from the Transition Network, a charity based in Totnes in the UK.
The author on a study tour in Totnes, in south-west England – home to a progressive community and the world’s first Transition Town.
One of the aims of Transition initiatives is to reconnect people within local communities and to encourage and support them in working together at a neighbourhood, village or regional level to address issues like climate change, peak oil and economic uncertainty. This inclusive and engaging, community based approach focuses on solutions and on enabling people to ‘be the change’ they wish to see in the world, in a very practical and ‘do-able’ way. In the process of reducing reliance on fossil fuels and working towards the co-creation of a more sustainable future, relocalisation and resilience are enhanced, and a stronger sense of ‘community’ is created.
‘People Power’ – members of communities working together – is what drives the innovative Transition Towns movement.
The Transition movement has inspired all manner of practical and creative projects, relating to topics like renewable energy and transportation, the growing of healthy food and the support of sustainable, small-scale and urban agriculture, the re-invigoration of local communities and economies, ecologically and socially responsible development, and the improved management of waste, water and other resources. But it is also about enjoying the journey along the way, sharing it with others, and caring about the ‘Inner Transition’ – in terms of people’s health and wellbeing – as well as the more externally focussed and practical Transition projects.
A collaborative approach on a Transition development project in Totnes, UK.
Being ‘in Transition’ is all about creating a shared vision of a more sustainable future and a more connected community and then ‘back-casting’ or working backwards to achieve those collective community goals. In essence, Transition is “Hope with its sleeves rolled up”, as co-founder, Rob Hopkins, describes it. After studying environmental management and permaculture design and becoming a sustainability educator, Rob Hopkins helped to develop the Transition Town idea, with his students and colleagues, before putting it to the test in England. Ten years on, Rob has written widely on the topic and further developed the Transition concept. It offers a positive, replicable and proactive model for change which continues to resonate around the world. But more importantly, it continues to be rolled out, adapting to local circumstances along the way.
Transition Network co-founder, Rob Hopkins.
Sharing the tale of Transition.
Stories of Transition from across the world.
Reflecting on change.
The Victorian Transition Town Convergence
Victoria hosted its fourth ‘Transition Town Convergence’, at the Multicultural Hub in Melbourne, on 30 July 2016. Nearly 50 members from a dozen different urban and regional ‘Transition Town’ groups got together in Melbourne, to catch up, brainstorm ideas and exchange information and insights. There were presentations, activities and ‘Open Space’ discussions, interspersed with conversations over cups of tea and a shared lunch … lots of great food for thought!
Facilitator, Paul Shelton, welcomes participants to the Victorian Convergence.
Video Slideshow
Below is a 3’30” video (photo montage slideshow) that I have collated and posted on Vimeo to recap the day’s events …
The Victorian Convergence provided a good chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones, with people drawn from far and wide – from Banyule to Port Phillip, Gippsland to Geelong, Wyndham to Wallan, Maroondah to Hobson’s Bay. All sharing a collective vision of strengthening their local communities and living more sustainably, while building community resilience and connectivity along the way.
Some of the best conversations take place over a cup of tea.
Throughout the day there were opportunities to share and learn from each others’ successes and challenges, and to canvas the way forward, for local groups and for the Transition movement within Victoria … and also, Australia. Mark Clayton, from Transition Gawler in South Australia, was a special guest who presented the idea of forming a National Transition Hub as a resource centre for supporting existing Australian Transition Town groups and also assisting people interested in starting new ones. More than 50 countries around the world now have National Hubs, which link in with the Transition Network, based in the UK.
Mark Clayton, from Transition Gawler in South Australia, canvassed the idea of establishing a National Transition Hub in Australia.
At the Melbourne event, stories from the International Transition Convergence, held in England last year, were brought to life on the big screen via a photo story slideshow, which transported the audience on a guided tour to what was akin to the ‘UN of Transition’. It was good to cover the international perspective and to hear stories about positive initiatives taking place right across the globe.
A group photo at the International Transition Convergence 2015. (Photo by Mike Grenville)The author (third from left) with other Australian delegates at the International Convergence. (Photo by Mike Grenville)
It is wonderful to work together on a local level but to also know that you are connected to other groups around the world, as part of a global and growing movement that is working, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, to foster positive social change, promote relocalisation and renewable energy options and co-create a more sustainable future for all – largely driven by people power! People working together, at a grass-roots level, can be one of the greatest facilitators of the transition to a more sustainable and just society. It really brings the old adage ‘Think Global, Act Local’ to life!
Working together to make a difference.
Thanks to the members of Transition Darebin, Transition Banyule, Transition Town Maroondah and Transition Maribyrnong, who worked together to organise the Victorian Transition Town Convergence. The next Convergence will be held in Melbourne, in July 2017.
‘Caring for country’ is at the heart of indigenous cultures across the world. Since ancient times, their careful observation, understanding and respect for the land, and their intimate knowledge of the seasons and cycles of nature has generally resulted in communities that have lived in harmony with their environment and with the earth’s natural life support systems. There remains much that we can learn from such traditional practices and knowledge bases. Especially at a time when the world is seeking more sustainable ways of operating in the bid to address the significant environmental and social challenges that we face, including the spectre of climate change.
Learning from the past.
Planning for the future.
This month the UN International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was commemorated (on 9 August) with the theme of ‘Education’. The UN used this global event to highlight the right to education, recognized under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Attention was drawn to the disparities between indigenous and non-indigenous students in terms of access to education, school retention and graduation rates in all regions of the world. This is certainly reflected in Australia.
The ‘UN International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples’ – shining a light on the knowledge, richness and diversity of indigenous cultures.
Sharing Knowledge and Learning From Each Other
On the theme of ‘education’, there is also much that non-indigenous people can learn from our indigenous elders, brothers and sisters. In Australia, this learning extends to broadening our understanding about how indigenous people managed to live on this dry continent sustainably, for 60,000 plus years, working in sync with the climatic conditions, the diversity of environments and the indigenous plants and animals that co-existed here. And this was not just, as common notions would have it, in the role of simple hunter-gatherers.
Indigenous writer, Bruce Pascoe, author of ‘Dark Emu, Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?’
The First Peoples of Australia not only had rich social and cultural lives, they also developed quite intricate indigenous economies – with established trade routes and food systems that included not just wild harvesting but the domestication and cultivation of important plants, including native grains and yams, the evolution of firestick farming, the creation of eel and fish traps and the careful management of water resources. Some of the best accounts of this have been uncovered in the journals and records of the early European explorers and settlers, who documented their first encounters with Aboriginal groups in different parts of Australia.
Bruce Pascoe and his wife, Lyn Harwood ,at the Lake Bolac Eel Festival in western Victoria.
Indigenous researcher and author, Bruce Pascoe, describes this early aboriginal culture in considerable detail and highlights the type of economies and communities that existed at the time of first contact, in his book Dark Emu, Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? The stories within its chapters, drawn from a range of historical records, reveal diverse communities, dotted across the continent, bearing all the hallmarks of so-called ‘civilised society’ – including the construction of semi-permanent and permanent dwellings, the selection and cultivation of plants and the preserving and storing of surplus food supplies.
Bruce Pascoe’s insightful and thought provoking book ‘Dark Emu, Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?’
Connecting to country is something we can all do.
Wattle seeds can be ground up to make a somewhat nutty, protein rich alternative to coffee.
Bruce Pascoe points out that there is even archeological evidence of ‘grinding stones’ – tools that were used to grind harvested native grains to bake bread in earth ovens – thousands of years before the ancient Egyptians even came up with the idea!
But is this a source of national pride or a cause for celebration, as Bruce Pascoe believes it should be? Sadly, it is not even widely known. This type of resourceful and creative thinking however, was an integral part of the rich social and cultural life of Aboriginal Australia … but this is not what we learnt about in school. This is not the history that Bruce Pascoe studied at school either – or university – and therefore he didn’t teach it himself when he was a secondary school teacher, prior to becoming a researcher and writer.
Instead, students were generally taught the widely published and accepted version of Australian history – albeit quite a prejudiced and Euro-centric version of history – which inherently discounted the complexity of indigenous society in order to perpetuate the land claim of Terra Nullius – the myth that this land was ‘nobody’s land’, that this country was not being ‘used’ and that the First Peoples did not have a ‘civilised’ society.
Authors Bill Gammage and Bruce Pascoe presented talks on indigenous land management at the recent Lake Bolac Eel Festival in western Victoria.
Raising Awareness
In the ground-breaking book, The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia (which won a swag of literary and history awards), respected historian and academic, Bill Gammage, details Aboriginal Australia’s skillful land management prior to colonisation. In a nod to the book’s theme and title, Bill Gammage describes how the early European explorers and settlers repeatedly recorded observations about countryside and grasslands that were ‘park-like’, in that they resembled an English gentleman’s park or estate.
Film makers are working on a documentary about Bill Gammage’s book, ‘The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia’.
As James Boyce writes, in a review in The Monthly, the comparison made by early settlers was far closer to expressing the full truth than their cultural blinkers would allow them to see. The Aborigines were indeed managing an estate that, despite a focus on local action, stretched the breadth of the continent. He writes: “… in 1788 there was no wilderness, but a landscape that reflected a sophisticated, successful and sensitive farming regime integrated across the Australian landmass. Fire was not an indiscriminate tool of fuel reduction or grass promotion, but carefully employed to ensure certain plants and animals flourished, to facilitate access and rotation, and to ensure resources were abundant, convenient and predictable.”
Learning about indigenous practices, like the use of food, fibre and medicine plants, keeps these practices alive and ensures that the knowledge is passed on between generations.
Thanks to the work of researchers and writers like Bruce Pascoe and Bill Gammage, we are learning more about the richness of Aboriginal Australia that existed at the time of European contact. That is, before indigenous people were rounded up and moved on to missions, forbidden from harvesting their bushfoods or carrying out their ceremonies and cultural practices. In many ways it is a wonder that this rich and ancient culture has survived. But survive it has and there is now a real resurgence of interest and a growing appreciation and respect for indigenous ways of caring for country and caring for people. There is much we can learn.
Bill Gammage signs a copy of his ground-breaking book ‘The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia’.Acknowledging and respecting Australia’s indigenous roots.
An Inspiration for Permaculture
The early co-founders of permaculture, Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, recognised the insight and wisdom within the land management practices of indigenous people, both here and overseas. They undertook broad-ranging research and experimentation as they developed their principles of permaculture in the 1970s, and they drew inspiration from the Australian Aborigines’ traditional respect for and connection to country and their environmentally sensitive ways of life. Mollison and Holmgren’s permaculture methodology for sustainable land management, food production and social interaction has since grown in popularity both in Australia and around the world. And its evolution continues today, as the permutations of permaculture are applied on a personal, domestic and community level, as well as in regenerative agriculture and broader scale projects of a more commercial nature.
Permaculture co-founder and educator, David Holmgren, guides students on a tour of his property, Melliodora, in Hepburn Springs, Victoria.
Land Cultures: Aboriginal Economies and Permaculture Futures
In April this year, David Holmgren and Bruce Pascoe teamed up to share their insights about sustainable land management, from their indigenous and permaculture perspectives. In an evening forum at the Daylesford Town Hall, they gave presentations on the topic of Land Cultures: Aboriginal Economies and Permaculture Futures. A documentary film featuring this event, along with Bruce Pascoe’s book readings at the local library and planting of bushfoods in the local community garden, has just been released (available on You Tube and embedded at the end of this post). Produced by Anthony Petrucci and Patrick Jones (permaculture advocate, author and member of Artist as Family), it is a lovely visual record of this special series of events and provides a nice way to tune in to the conversations for those who could not attend in person.
Trent Nelson performs a traditional Jaara smoking ceremony outside the Daylesford Town Hall.
The Evening Forum in Daylesford
Guests for the forum on Land Cultures: Aboriginal Economies and Permaculture Futures gathered outside the Daylesford Town Hall for a local Dja Dja Wurrung ‘welcome to country’. The aromatic smell of smouldering native leaves drifted into the night air, as part of a traditional Jaara smoking ceremony.
Local Dja Dja Wurrung elder, Graham Atkinson, conducts a ‘welcome to country’.
It was a nice way to commence the evening, being warmly welcomed by representatives of the local indigenous people, before being invited inside the cosy heritage town hall, to hear about ways of caring for land – from an indigenous as well as permaculture perspective. There is a good synergy in many ways, between these two approaches. The hallmarks of both centre around careful observation and care of the land, and respect for country and the environment that supports and sustains us and other living creatures and ecological systems. The common ground extends, in essence, to working with nature through the use of sustainable practices.
A good turnout and a full house at the Daylesford Town Hall.
It was a good turnout and all of the balconies were filled inside the Town Hall, with guests from far and wide joining together with locals to hear these two elders of permaculture and indigenous affairs speak. Great food for thought!
Bruce Pascoe shares some stories drawn from the journals of the early explorers.
Bruce Pascoe is a born storyteller and David Holmgren a thoughtful permaculture pioneer. Together, they opened up the space for the valuable sharing of knowledge and stories and the exploration of ideas. Nice to see blackfella dreaming and whitefella dreaming finding common ground, behind the mic and within the assembled audience at large (which now extends to include a ‘virtual’ audience with the release of the film). A key theme was on recognising and healing the past and working together to explore possibilities and pathways for co-creating a more sustainable, equitable and fulfilling future. Learning from the past and planning for the future.
Bruce Pascoe answers questions from the floor. (Photo: Patrick Jones, Lyn Harwood, Bruce Pascoe, David Holmgren and Su Dennett)
In keeping with the spirit of the occasion, refreshing lemon myrtle tea and nourishing wattleseed chai provided a nice way to wrap up the evening, before guests headed back out into the night, passing through the cleansing smoke once again as they embarked upon their journeys home.
Lighting the fire.
Passing through the cleansing smoke on the way out.
Land Cultures: Aboriginal Economies and Permaculture Futures – a documentary film produced by Anthony Petrucci and Patrick Jones (Artist as Family) … Enjoy!
Further Information:
David Holmgren – Permaculture co-founder and educator
Artist as Family – Producers (with Anthony Petrucci) of the documentary film onLand Cultures: Aboriginal Economies and Permaculture Futures(embedded at the end of this post)
Art is an important aspect of indigenous culture that continues to grow in popularity.
NAIDOC Week is an annual event that focuses attention on the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and the valuable contributions that indigenous people make to this country. It provides a chance for all of us to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Australia’s First People. It also provides an opportunity to reflect upon our shared history.
Creating a hand print.
Today’s descendants of the original inhabitants of this country are part of the oldest continuously living culture on earth. This connection stretches back 60,000+ years, to the ancestors of the past and it also provides a living link to the future. At this point in time, indigenous and non-indigenous Australians are being called upon to walk a path of healing together, towards greater reconciliation, and to enter into discussions about the prospect of a long overdue Treaty with this nation’s First People. It is all about walking that road together.
Indigenous artist, Darryl Black, shows 11 year old Jamie van Wensveen how to create a contemporary hand print – not unlike the ones originally painted on cave walls using ochre pigments.
NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’ – an acronym for the group responsible for organising NAIDOC activities and events – and the national week for celebrating indigenous culture has retained this name. Held in the first full week of July, the origins of NAIDOC Week can be traced back to the 1920s and the emergence of Aboriginal groups which sought to increase awareness in the wider community about the status and treatment of indigenous Australians.
NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity to learn about indigenous culture.
In the early 1900s, fledgling Aboriginal rights groups had started to boycott ‘Australia Day’ (26 January) in protest against the treatment of Indigenous Australians. On Australia Day in 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney, followed by a congress attended by over a thousand people. Known as the ‘Day of Mourning’, this was one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world. There was a growing feeling that this day of demonstration should become a regular event.
From 1940 until 1955, the Day of Mourning was held annually on the Sunday before Australia Day and it became known as ‘Aborigines Day’. In 1955 Aborigines Day was shifted to the first Sunday in July after it was decided that the day should become not simply a day of protest but also a celebration of Aboriginal culture.
This year, the national theme for NAIDOC Week (3-10 July) is Songlines – The living narrative of our nation. As for previous years, a national poster competition was held, inviting artists to submit entries represening their interpretation of the chosen theme. This year’s winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC Poster Competition is Lani Balzan, a proud Wiradjuri Aboriginal woman from Illawara, NSW.
Ms Balzan received a $5,000 cash prize and her artwork, titled: Songlines Tie All Aboriginal People Together, is featured on the National NAIDOC Poster, distributed across the country to promote NAIDOC Week 2016. Ms Balzan’s artwork represents all of the Songlines coming together to create our nation. You can see how they criss-cross the land as they run East, West, North, South and diagonally across the country to track the journeys of the ancestors.
Artist, Darryl Black, who is also an indigenous cultural guide on eco-tours in Queensland, works on series of paintings inspired by the native wildlife that he encounters up north.
As part of NAIDOC Week, diverse celebrations and activities are being held across Australia – from remote and regional communities to urban and metropolitan centres. If you have the chance to take part, the opportunity to learn more about indigenous culture, music, stories and artwork, and to connect with local indigenous people is well worthwhile.
Dot work and detail on a painting of a cassowary.
‘Australians United’ – an artwork by Darryl Black, showing interconnecting Songlines.
Further Information:
NAIDOC Week 3-10 July 2016.
To find out more about events and celebrations in recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements, visit the NAIDOC website or Facebook page. As part of an open invitation to take part, all Australians are welcome and encouraged to learn, share and participate together. NAIDOC week provides an opportunity for Australians of all ages to discover more about the oldest living continuing culture on the planet.
Like many organisations, the network of local and national ABC Television and Radio stations is also supporting NAIDOC Week, presenting a broad range of features on indigenous Australians during the week-long celebrations.
SBSTelevision and its NITV(National Indigenous Television) channel will also be broadcasting a series of NAIDOC related stories. NITV, being a channel made by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, has the ongoing role of sharing indigenous stories 365 days a year!
The first sunday of May marks the annual ‘International Day of Permaculture’ – a celebration of permaculture around the world. Over the past seven years, what started out as a grass roots Australian initiative has since grown into a global day of permaculture activities and events, celebrated in over 35 countries. In fact, the activities often extend throughout the month of May.
Bill Mollison and David Holmgren’s early development of the ‘permaculture’ concept, in Tasmania in the mid-1970s, arose out of their research and investigation into ethical and environmentally sustainable forms of ‘permanent agriculture’ and the social structures to support this. Permaculture has since evolved into a global movement, with an educational curriculum and millions of students, practitioners and design projects dotted across the world.
A productive permaculture food garden at the Rocklyn Yoga Ashram in Daylesford, Victoria.
In writing about gardening in Australia, I often come across ‘permaculture people’ doing really interesting and diverse things – from Tassie to the Top End. I am continuing to discover the many ‘permutations of permaculture’ and how these link in synergistically with things like fair food, ethical building design, relocalisation, renewable energy initiatives, urban agriculture and organic farming. In fact, the overarching thinking of permaculture provides a suite of tools to assist in developing more sustainable and equitable practices – be they social, environmental, economic or agricultural.
The award-winning Melbourne garden designer, Karen Sutherland of Edible Eden Design – inspired by permaculture.
When I found myself at the International Permaculture Convergence in the UK last year, meeting people from many different nations – people actively involved in creating more sustainable futures for their families and communities – it really got me thinking about the Australian origins of the permaculture concept. And how it is so much more than an organic gardening technique – which is what it can initially appear to be on face value.
A field trip to permaculture properties in the south west of England, during the International Permaculture Convergence.
Farm tour.
Echinaceae.
Pumpkin harvest.
A productive demonstration site.
A pit stop to enjoy the view.
Freedom to roam.
A dog’s life.
ART – The Agroforestry Research Trust.
While overseas for work and family reasons, I also attended the Transition Network’s International Conference in Totnes, Devon, in the UK – again, meeting people from many different parts of the world, this time involved in Transition Town groups and projects. This broad coalescence of kindred spirits has turned into quite a social movement – which continues to resonate with people wanting to simply get on with the job of tackling key challenges like climate change and addressing the many unsustainable practices that they observe around them. In the process, their collective aim is to transition to a more equitable and cleaner energy future – one household, business and community at a time.
A Transition Town initiative in Totnes, UK, the heart and HQ of the Transition Network.
It is all about envisioning the type of future that people want to create and then just getting on with its co-creation, embarking upon a proactive and positive journey of ‘living lightly’ and ‘building community’, and sharing resources, skills and stories along the way. Everyday people and community leaders alike join together and become empowered to act as ‘agents of change’. Like permaculture, the Transition Network too, has morphed into a global movement, with branches that spread far and wide. And as its co-founder, Rob Hopkins, acknowledges, the roots of its development can be found firmly planted in permaculture thinking.
Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Network.
Jacqui Hodgson, Totnes Mayor.
Edible gardens.
Visitors from many nations.
Recording the event.
Taking note.
Fertile discussions.
Recording ideas.
American and Spanish film-makers discuss documentaries.
A lively debate on climate change.
Break out groups.
A welcoming smile.
Different colours representing different countries.
Promoting wellbeing at the Transition Network Conference.
‘Transition Towns’ provides a good model and practical application of ‘social permaculture’ – still with the mainstays of organic gardening methods and the sharing of local food as a way of bringing people together, but with the important additional focus on households, communities and local economies.
Signs of change.
I couldn’t help but be inspired by hearing about so many great examples of permaculture and transition in action overseas. So on returning to Australia, I signed up for a two week intensive ‘Permaculture Design Course’ or PDC earlier this year, to find out more about this thing called permaculture – which had begun literally “in my own backyard”. It’s funny how being away from home can really highlight such things.
Taking part in a ‘permaculture design course’ (PDC) intensive.
Deep in thought.
Small group activities.
Yoga and permaculture
Student presentations.
The permaculture spiral.
Scribe.
It was nice to study with one of the original co-founders of the concept, David Holmgren, and his inspiring partner, Su Dennett (from the Hepburn Relocalisation Network), in the tranquil surrounds of a yoga ashram, in Daylesford – just up the road from Hepburn Springs in Central Victoria, where the couple is based.
David Holmgren, permaculture co-founder, welcomes students to his property, Melliodora.
Su Dennett chats to students.
Su Dennett at Melliodora, with Julie.
David leads a tour at Melliodora.
The Melliodora ‘kitchen garden’.
One of the buildings at Melliodora.
Our group of 24 students, of all ages and from all walks of life, was fortunate to be guided through the course content by a range of other experienced teachers as well, including Angela Enbom (‘the bee wrangler’), Beck Lowe and Ian Lillington, who covered different topics relating to key areas of their interest and expertise. Additional guest teachers also presented on specialist topics like renewable energy and building design. Robyn Clayfield dropped in to cover the more social and ‘heart-based’ elements of permaculture while she was in Victoria attending the Sustainable Living Festival, and Paddy the Permie Tree Man proved an absolute wealth of knowledge on all things arboricultural (and was a dead ringer for Shane Jacobson aka ‘Kenny’, in both manner and appearance).
Angela Enbom from Tread Lightly Permaculture.
Beck Lowe with German student, Kilian.
Robyn Clayfield and Ian Lillington.
Paddy the Permie Tree Man (with the very studious Ian).
A third of the group of students was comprised of overseas visitors – from Japan, Sweden, Austria, France, Sri Lanka, Germany and the US – people who are already doing really interesting things in sustainability in their own right in those various locations. So the knowledge in the room, from both the teachers and participants, led to a wonderful cultural exchange and some pretty interesting and wide ranging discussions.
New friends – Emily, Yasmine, Katsumasa and Suz at the ashram.
Tania and friend.
International students.
Morning in the ashram garden.
Ehren from Fiji.
Yasmine and Rick lend a hand.
Helen harvests the rhubarb.
Paul collects some herbs.
The picking crew.
Field trips to David and Su’s property, Melliodora, one of the longest running demonstration sites for permaculture principles, and other local permaculture-inspired properties, really helped to bring things to life on a more practical level, balancing out the theoretical side of things nicely. And each morning we would help out in the ashram’s productive food garden – a beautiful way to begin the day.
Gardening is a part of yogic life at the Rocklyn Ashram.
Fair food for all.
Julian taste testing the grapes.
Tess B & Rhys.
Andrew from New York.
Planting a new chestnut tree.
Keen observers – Alexander, Kilian and Irene.
Julie picks some apples.
A Melliodora resident.
Polly and Ehren at the Daylesford Community Garden
Collecting seeds.
Catcher of mice.
At any rate, when it comes to writing about ‘permaculture people’ in the future, and no doubt they will continue to cross my path, at least I will now have a better understanding about where they are coming from and how permaculture has evolved and continues to evolve. And I look forward to finding out more about how the principles of permaculture can be applied in practice, to the creation of more sustainable households, properties and communities.
A group of teachers and students at the Daylesford Ashram – an intentional community which has embraced permaculture design.
And a special message for those commemorating the International Day of Permaculture, from the wonderful Vandana Shiva, in this 2016 International Year of Pulses.
A farming of permanence works with the hydrological cycle, the nutrient cycle and the cycles of natural systems says Indian food and seed advocate, Vandana Shiva.
Author, Bruce Pascoe, at a recent event in Daylesford in Central Victoria.
When it comes to sharing knowledge about indigenous culture and aboriginal land management practices, author, Bruce Pascoe, is a bit of a guru … despite his rather humble and unassuming manner. Bruce was on the road for a series of speaking engagements in Melbourne and rural Victoria this month, and I caught up with him at the indigenous EEL Festival at Lake Bolac, and also in Daylesford.
The Hepburn Relocalisation Network hosted a special day of events on April 7, entitled ‘Land Cultures and Permaculture Futures’, featuring Bruce Pascoe and David Holmgren, co-originator of ‘Permaculture’ (a method for ethically producing food and living sustainably). The afternoon’s activities opened with a visit to the Daylesford Museum, providing an opportunity to view an exhibition of tools and artefacts from the local Dja Dja Wurrung people and to learn more about their indigenous cultural heritage from local historians. Visitors then headed over to the Daylesford Library to hear Bruce read some of his young adult fiction and talk about life as a writer.
Bruce Pascoe is a natural when it comes to the art of storytelling.
Bruce Pascoe is a born storyteller, with an engaging manner. He explained that sharing stories was an everyday part of life when he was growing up on King Island, in Bass Strait. At that time his family didn’t have a television – which was a bit of a blessing really, as they would sit around the table of an evening and talk and share stories. Looking back, Bruce realises this was an upbringing that has served him well in his later life as a writer and storyteller.
Reading extracts from the book that won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction in 2013 – ‘Fog a Dox’.
In addition to writing fiction and editing short stories, Bruce Pascoe has also worked as a teacher of English and history, and he has applied his considerable research and communication skills in the non-fiction genre as well, focusing on topics close to his heart. Bruce, who has Bunurong (South-Central Victorian) and Tasmanian indigenous heritage, was a historical advisor and presenter on the groundbreaking SBS documentary series ‘The First Australians’, and his research into early indigenous culture and agriculture at the time of colonisation is well documented in his books ‘Convincing Ground’ and ‘Dark Emu Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?’
With his long standing interest in native bushfoods, an important stop on Bruce Pascoe’s Daylesford itinerary was the local community food garden – originally a guerrilla gardening initiative established on a vacant block of land in the town centre. There, a small but supportive crowd awaited to hear Bruce speak about growing native foods.
Patrick Jones welcomed visitors to the Daylesford Community Garden.
Patrick Jones (local artist and author, member of ‘Artist as Family’, permaculture advocate and co-founder of the Daylesford Community Food Garden), invited Bruce to plant the first of the new native seedlings, in the creation of a little bushfoods garden at the front entrance.
Bruce was invited to plant some bushfoods at the Daylesford Community Food Garden.Locals and visitors to Daylesford enjoyed taking part in the events.
There were many volunteers who were willing to lend a hand with the planting of the bush tucker plants – compliments of Frances Cincotta of Newstead Natives, a local indigenous nursery. The species selection included:
Native flax (Linum marginale) – a slender plant that grows up to 1 metre high, with edible, oily seeds and fibre that can be used as string
Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) – a common but beautiful tussock grass which produces seeds that can be ground and baked, and fibre from leaves and stems that can be used for string and fishing nets
Chocoloate Lily (Arthroodium strictum) – an attractive perennial with tuberous roots which can be roasted and eaten
Bulbine Lily (Bulbine bulbosa) – with bulbous tubers that can be steamed and eaten
Yam Daisy or ‘Murnong’ (Microseris lancelota) – once a staple food for indigenous people in south-eastern Australia, with radish-like tubers that can be eaten raw or cooked in baskets in earth ovens
Local Trentham resident, Polly, helps with the planting.
Many hands make light work.
With his lovely wife, editor Lyn Harwood, Bruce Pascoe was happy to stay around after the planting session, to sign books and chat to people. His books have proved popular amongst the general public and they have especially resonated amongst those interested in sustainability, permaculture and gardening, as well as indigenous culture.
An impromptu signing of ‘Black Emu’ – a book which remains popular in permaculture circles.Lyn Harwood chats with Peter O’Mara and other locals after the event.
Sustainability education officer for the City of Port Phillip and contributor to The Plant Hunter online magazine, Belinda Evans, was one of the guests who enjoyed catching up with Bruce Pascoe and documenting the event. Belinda recently wrote a good review on Bruce’s book ‘Dark Emu Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?‘, which can be found at: http://theplanthunter.com.au/culture/dark-emu-book-review/
With the new bushfood plants watered in to their new home in the community garden, that concluded the day’s events in Daylesford – a prelude to the evening forum featuring presentations by Bruce Pascoe and David Holmgren. But that will be the subject of another blog post …
Further information:
‘Dark Emu Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?‘
In Dark Emu, Bruce Pascoe argues for a reconsideration of the ‘hunter-gatherer’ tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession. An accomplished author, Bruce Pascoe provides compelling evidence from the diaries of early explorers that suggests that systems of food production and land management have been blatantly understated in modern retellings of early Aboriginal history, and that a new look at Australia’s past is required.
To order copies of ‘Dark Emu Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident?‘, download comprehensive teacher notes or visit the official Dark Emu blog, go to Magabala Books:
Sowing the Seeds of Change. To learn about ‘Gurandgi Munjie’, a group of Aboriginal men and women (inlcuding Bruce Pascoe) determined to recover the traditional food plants of their culture, and the crowd funding Pozible campaign that is helping them achieve their vision, visit:
To learn more about the local Dja Dja Wurrung people of Central Victoria:
http://www.djadjawurrung.com.au/
Catching up with some kindred spirits who all share an interest in permaculture and indigenous culture (L to R: Emily – teacher and sustainability co-ordinator, Polly – anthropologist and ‘community builder’, Suz – holistic vet, yours truly, and Felicity – artist and sustainability educator).
The beautiful healing hands of Suz and Em, advocates for sustainability.
As we enter early Autumn, after what has been a long and hot, dry summer, El Nino continues to bite and wreak havoc with the weather patterns and rainfall cycles across south-eastern Australia and elsewhere. High temperature records for recent months have not just been broken, they have been smashed! And as Summer rolls into Autumn, here in Melbourne we are facing a forecast for a week of heatwave temperatures, with little rainfall or relief in sight. But as a catalyst for change – such conditions can make us think more deeply about how we can plan for the gardens and the communities of the future, to build resilience and to become more water-wise and more sustainable in our practices.
Recognising water for the precious resource that it is.
Having just spent several weeks on a study tour of farms in Central Victoria and having seen the drought conditions first hand, the topic of farming and gardening in the face of climate change is something that is set to attract more attention as we move forward. In some ways, El Nino is a bit like a warm up act for longer term climatic changes – a taste of things to come. So how do we adapt and how do we plan for viable methods of food production and for the farms and gardens of the future?
Welcome to ‘Kentgrove’ in Goulburn, New South Wales.
While travelling across New South Wales last year, I passed through Goulburn and caught up with Doug Rawlinson and his wife Sharon, who ran a local plant nursery in town for several decades. In recent years they have been focusing their efforts on restoring a historic estate called ‘Kentgrove’, which they purchased after it had fallen into a state of disrepair during a period of ongoing drought. The estate had once been home to the largest orchard in the southern hemisphere, in the late 1800s, complete with its own jam factory.
The back of the ‘Kentgrove’ heritage home, viewed from the kitchen garden. (Photo courtesy of Doug Rawlinson)
Along with the restoration of the property’s heritage buildings – including the home, stables and old jam factory and cannery – the Rawlinsons’ love of horticulture has also seen them create some really interesting and diverse gardens around their new home. Including one of the country’s first private demonstration sites for ‘climate change gardening’.
Doug and Sharon Rawlinson.
Encouraged to sign up for the Open Garden scheme (which recently wrapped up after 27 years of operating), Kentgrove became the first listing for a ‘Climate Change Garden’. Doug and Sharon have since received many additional requests for tours and workshops … along with visits from the odd journalist wanting to find out more.
Unseasonal Spring snowfall. (Photo courtesy of Doug Rawlinson)
‘Climate change’ is not just about ‘global warming’ and an increase in heat waves, although that is certainly an important aspect on the spectrum of forecast and unfolding changes. It is also about broader ‘changes’ to the climate overall – be that an increased frequency of storm events, damaging winds, shifts in usual weather and rainfall patterns, or intermittent or unseasonably intense downpours, frosts or snowfalls.
Goulburn is an area with some tough climatic conditions to contend with.
The Goulburn region has some challenging growing conditions at the best of times, so it has been an excellent training ground for the Rawlinsons, in terms of learning to deal with weather extremes. From the regular frosts and notoriously cold winters, to unseasonal Spring snowfalls, and hot inland summers and heatwaves. All in the relatively dry climate of New South Wales’ Southern Tablelands. There is much that we can learn from such locations about resilience and adapting to change!
Gateway to the ‘Climate Change Garden’.
The Rawlinsons learnt valuable and sometimes costly lessons, largely through a process of trail and error. Their original vegie patches were decimated during the hot, dry summers. The heatwaves really started to take their toll on the gardens and on the Rawlinsons, prompting a rethink, followed by a redesign of their productive growing areas.
A handyman by nature, Doug enjoys using recycled and repurposed materials wherever possible.
Doug converted an old tennis court into a English-inspired, Victorian Kitchen Garden – which he adapted to suit Australian and local conditions. He set about planting hedges around the perimeters, to create a wind break and protection from storms, and he integrated a range of rain harvesting and water conservation techniques, including the use of a gravity fed system, to provide for irrigation needs. The end result was Doug’s ‘Climate Change Garden’ – a productive food garden complete with its own ‘lid’ in the form of a shadecloth canopy “to protect the garden as well as the gardener from the summer heat!”
The series of raised beds are protected by perimeter hedge plantings and a shadecloth canopy.
With the shadecloth ‘roof’ and wind protection, coupled with organically enriched soil, good mulch and water conservation measures, Doug recorded a significant reduction in water use of 75 percent. He also noticed that winter productivity was not affected adversely and there was not an increase in mildew issues in the cooler weather, as the set up still allowed for good air flow and open pollination.
Water plants and an ornamental pond in the Victorian kitchen garden. (Photo courtesy of Doug Rawlinson)
Ever the experimenter, Doug has also created a ‘Warm Room’ next to the shed, for winter gardening, capturing natural light and generating warmth a bit like an English sunroom. Things like citrus trees (which otherwise struggle in this area) and even avocados and tropical pineapples can be grown in this sort of micro-climate. An old machinery shed has been converted into an additional greenhouse, to propagate seedlings and less cold-tolerant plants, ready for Spring plantings.
The greenhouse helps to extend the growing season in colder weather.
The Kitchen Garden has become a highly productive space, year round, growing a broad range of fresh, seasonal foods. More than 30 beds are home to vegetables, herbs, dwarf fruit trees, berries, grape vines and flowers (for decoration, colour and attracting pollinators). The Rawlinsons are largely self-sufficient and their ‘food miles’ have shrunk down to become daily walks from their kitchen to their garden – a round trip of around 40 metres!
Australian garlic growing in the kitchen garden.
Doug continues to experiment and explore the boundaries of plant propagation at Kentgrove. He has even created a ‘Rainforest Room’ out of a section of the old jam factory. Here, under the protection of a roof, open windows let in light, birds and insects, and all manner of temperate rainforest and food plants can be found growing between the walls. Ponds and waterfalls are part of this harvested rainwater garden, and winding wooden walkways lead on to pleasant places to sit and enjoy this cool space. It is a beautiful site for hosting the gardening and sustainability workshops that the Rawlinsons present to the public.
A section of the old jam factory has been converted into a ‘Rainforest Room’.
A pond and plantings within the ‘Rainforest Room’.
After decades working as a nurseryman, assisting fellow gardeners to deal with things like water restrictions and drought, and having experimented in his own gardens, learning through trial and error, Doug is well placed to share his experiences from his journeys in sustainable living and gardening. He has created a real model garden for the future, demonstrating how we can adapt to meet the challenges associated with growing plants and produce in an era of climate change.
Rain is usually a blessing for a gardener!
As Doug sums up so succinctly, “During drought times, people learnt to do more with less and to do things differently. When dealing with environmental challenges it is all about responding appropriately and also, learning what works and learning to adapt.”
Thanks Doug, for being willing to share your story and your experiences!
* To read the full feature article (with its tips on climate change gardening), which appeared in ‘Your Vegie Patch’ magazine (Issue Vol 6/ No. 1), click on the link below.
Doug’s latest project – the creation of a Japanese contemplation garden, which will also be home to ‘tea rooms’, to refresh the growing number of visitors who are keen to attend sustainability and gardening tours and workshops at the Rawlinsons’ home.
One of my favourite botanical gardens in Australia is also one of the oldest. The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens has a history stretching back almost 200 years, and a long association, not just with horticultural display gardens but also, with the growing of food. From its transformation from farmland in the early 1800s, to its establishment of heated walls to grow food plants in cold weather, through to the creation of the much-loved ‘Pete’s Patch’ for ABC TV’s ‘Gardening Australia’ programme, with the inimitable Peter Cundall and more recently, Tino Carnevale, through to the hosting of the Tasmanian Community Food Garden.
Peter Cundall and friends, at the opening of the Tasmanian Food Garden. (Photo courtesy RTBG)
Today, the RTBG has become one of the most progressive botanical gardens around, with its ground-breaking development of a ‘community garden’ onsite, providing plots for a diverse array of community and school groups, and training and workshops in all aspects of growing food, for members of the public. It is all about ‘Feeding the Future’ – an initiative to ensure food security and food production skills for all members of the Tasmanian community, including those most at risk of not having enough fresh, healthy food to eat.
Launching a new era in the role of botanical gardens. (Photo courtesy of RTBG)Gardening Australia presenter, Tino Carnevale, in the food garden. (Photo courtesy of RTBG)
The Tasmanian Community Food Garden has become a real hub of activity, for gardening and gardeners, and a special place of learning in one of the most beautiful ‘classrooms’ imaginable. With its picturesque riverside setting in Hobart, it is a tranquil and welcoming site for visitors and volunteers alike.
The Community Food Garden is a collaborative project.
In addition to maintaining the community food hub, the RTBG retains its focus on horticultural display gardens more broadly, as well as seed preservation and conservation. These latter measures serve as a bit of an insurance policy for the future, as the world faces issues such as the significant loss of natural habitat, and the impact of changing climatic conditions.
Horticultural Co-ordinator, David Reid (R), with colleague, Marcus Ragus (L).
Community education and engagement have become an important new focus for the botanical gardens. In the community food garden, staff enjoy helping to empower people and communities with the skills and confidence to grow their own food. A noticeable outcome of this shared experience has been the building of a strong sense of ‘community’ in and around the gardens, providing social connections for people who come together from all walks of life, to enjoy the productive garden space and the company of others, and the opportunity to develop new skills.
Volunteers lend a helping hand in the garden.
The various community groups enjoy cultivating and harvesting fresh, healthy food to take back to their respective groups. Any excess is donated to a not-for-profit organisation called ‘SecondBite’, for distribution to emergency food relief programmes, welfare groups and people in need. So nothing goes to waste!
Volunteers from the not-for-profit SecondBite gardening team.
Tasmanian Community Food Garden curator, Adam Lancaster, loves his outdoor ‘office’ and working with the garden volunteers. He enjoys watching them grow in skills and confidence as they take part in the workshops and start to spend more time in the gardens.
Tasmanian Community Food Garden curator, Adam Lancaster.A plant propagation workshop in the greenhouse.
Through its food gardening programmes and classes, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is reflecting a broader community interest in edible and not just ornamental plants, and in the skills relating to their cultivation. Botanical gardens were originally established, in medieval times, in association with the early universities, largely as centres for research into medicinal herbs – the medicines of the day. Botanical gardens have continued their fundamental research, seed repository and horticultural display roles over the intervening centuries but they have also continued to evolve over time. In more recent years, edible, useful and productive plants have once again started to come more clearly into focus.
The vegetable patch in Tasmania’s botanical gardens in the late 1800s. (Photo courtesy of RTBG)
The gardens of the future.
The widespread community support that is being demonstrated at RTBG for the growing of food demonstrates that this is a welcome role for botanical gardens to be exploring and indeed, provides an important model for the future, and for the development of skills for gardening under the influence of a changing climate. Hopefully other botanical gardens across Australia and elsewhere are watching carefully and taking note. Wouldn’t it be great to see more of these community food gardening initiatives in other capital cities and regional towns?
* To view the double feature on the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, which appeared in ‘Your Vegie Patch’ magazine, click on the links below.
It was lovely to catch up with the eclectic band of musicians who go by the rather unusual name of Moosejaw Rifle Club. Two thirds of the group are teachers and maestros, from the progressive Preshil (an independent school in Kew), who moonlight in this quirky folk/country/bluegrass band, producing their own unique blend of dance-worthy rhythms and harmonies.
Tess Holderness - Photojournalist 