Community
28 March, 2024
National award for community garden
HARD work is paying dividends for the Warrnambool Community Garden, which recently took out a national award.
The garden has been named winner of the Bush Tucker Garden Award in the Community Gardens Australia 2023 awards.
This national recognition celebrates the garden’s commitment to growing, showcasing and educating the community about Indigenous foods and their uses.
The announcement was made by none other than Costa Georgiadis from Gardening Australia, underscoring the significance of this achievement within the gardening and community development spheres.
At the heart of this award-winning garden lies a commitment to fostering learning and appreciation for Indigenous plants and their cultural significance.
Situated on the lands of the Peek Whurrong people of the Maar Nation, the garden overlooks a former wetland, providing a serene backdrop for exploration and education.
“Our garden is a significant area for First Nations people,” deputy convenor for the Warrnambool Community Garden, Courtney Mathew said.
“Over the years the garden has worked closely with local Elders to create this peaceful place of reflection.”
The garden’s range of bush foods and native plants were first established in 2016 and serve as a living classroom, inviting visitors to learn about the uses and flavours of Indigenous plants.
Local chefs use the garden to source hard-to-find ingredients to use in restaurants while the garden’s team sells rare seasonal treats like the pea sized muntries at the weekly garden market when available (introducing the food to new audiences).
“We pay our deepest respects to all First Nations people for their custodianship of this land over millennia,” Ms Mathew said.
“Our collaboration with Rob Lowe Snr has been instrumental in educating our community on the deep history and significance of our site.
“We dedicate this award to Rob for his service to the garden and the community more broadly.”
Ms Mathew said Mr Lowe had given hundreds of hours of his time sharing the stories of the area, educating people about its history and had also shared deeply moving Welcome to Country and smoking ceremonies at many garden events.
Recently Rob Lowe Snr has refinished the garden’s reflection seat to include a visual representation of the history of the site.
This involved hours of work to plan, prepare and apply the design.
To further engage the community and expand knowledge-sharing efforts, the garden offers resources such as the “Bush Harvest - Your Guide to Indigenous Food Plants,” a free downloadable guide aimed at promoting the value of bush foods for healthy diets and general well-being.
As the garden continues to evolve, it welcomes people from all backgrounds to join in its efforts of preservation, education, and community-building.
No prior experience is necessary; only a passion for nature and a willingness to learn.
Anyone interested in contributing to the bush food area or the Warrnambool Community Garden in general is encouraged to email grow@wcg3280.org.au.
