Help preserve historic, hidden garden

ESTABLISHED to create an oasis in what was a desert, the Ballarat East Town Hall Gardens were first planted in 1864.

Although the original hall was demolished, and BGT Jobs and Training’s Barkly Square community centre now sits on the site, a garden remains.

The green space, much of which is terraced, is maintained by eight volunteer Friends of Ballarat East Gardens including Di Stewart, who got involved to give back in her retirement.

“I do a lot of weeding, pulling out ivy, raking, there’s been some planting, and propagating,” she said.

“When we’ve cleared areas, it’s been quite gratifying, finding parts of the garden that were hidden under ivy, like beautiful old boulders.”

Coordinator, Valdi Cham, said the Friends welcome new volunteers to help them as they work to beautify the space.

“These are some of the third oldest gardens in Victoria,” she said.

“We don’t want to recreate what was here because of global warming, and often plants were imported, but once the area takes off, we hope people will stop and think, ‘doesn’t that look great.’

“Working in these gardens is so peaceful and quiet, people walk past and say hi, and you can hear the cockatoos, magpies, and kookaburras.”

The Friends have limited access to water and tend to plant hardy species, like succulents and lavenders.

There is a hothouse at Barkly Square, and volunteers plan to do some more propagating, and potting up of donated plants to use in future.

More overall clean-ups, and weed and ivy clearing is on the agenda, as is cutting back Dianella, and planting up the slope near the carpark and Specimen Vale footpath.

Horticulture students from Federation University have attended the site to weed and plant.

“We hope to continue that partnership, and the little bit of interweaving,” Ms Cham said.

If you are interest to volunteer, contact 0439 396 486.