Henley Community Garden

We had to find a name for the garden, so we named it Molly's Garden after Deb’s dog. The garden thrived. We organised an Open Day when the orchard was planted. Later we celebrated with soup and veggies cooked in the learning centre and shared by all.

The garden became a great meeting place for anyone from the community until an unfortunate incident when one of the dogs strayed onto the oval and bit the school gardener on the leg. This brought about a reaction from the school to keep all dogs out, fences and padlocks on all the gates, and restrictions on water use. It felt like a complete lock out. We had to find another place for the garden. With a huge amount of hard work by Deslie Goudie and Councillor Jim Fitzpatrick working with the City of Charles Sturt, a space was found at the northern end on the Henley Oval, its present location where it is looking splendid and is enjoyed by many.

Molly’s Garden

Henley Community Garden

Deslie Goudie

Originally, as discussed in the piece on Molly’s Garden, we occupied land on the Henley High School grounds, a garden which was started in 2003. This garden was set up for community members to garden alongside young people living with a disability. We cooperated with this younger cohort on garden tasks, aiming to encourage community activity and for all of us to learn about seasonal fruit and vegetables. However, the space in this garden was limited and we looked for a larger plot. WACRA’s president at that time, Jim Douglas, was also a member of the Henley High School Community Garden.

A small group of four people who had been involved with the Henley High School Community Garden approached the City of Charles Sturt, who helped us find suitable land and write grant applications. By 2011 we had been allocated land, a large slice near the

Henley Oval. We communicated with a council staff member, Janet Willoughby, Strategic Planner for Open Space and Recreation. Charles Sturt Council have been very supportive. We have been fortunate to have Janet as a contact. She has made it easy to navigate council processes and it is important to say that this relationship is ongoing for all gardening matters.

The new garden is located at Chambers Street, near the Henley Oval, at Henley Beach. In September 2012, the shift from the Henley High School site to our current location was full of mirth, goodwill and hard work. Fortunately, one of the members had a trailer which made it easier to shift the dirt and bricks from the Henley High School site. Some infrastructure such as large concrete pipes were physically rolled down the road for about one kilometre, from one site to the other. Rolling the pipes down the street was accompanied by much laughter, thus raising our community spirit. Fruit trees were transported to the new site. Three citrus trees were replanted.

In 2012, Henley Community Garden (HCG) became an incorporated not-for-profit association. HCG held its first annual general meeting (AGM) 12 November 2012. A steering committee was elected, comprising garden members. The steering committee continues to meet once a month. An Open Day was held in 2013 with coverage from Sophie Thomson from ABC’s Gardening Australia. We have since produced an orientation guidebook to HCG. The guidebook outlines practices embracing organic and sustainable gardening principles. As an incorporated body, we complied by creating codes of conduct and safety guidelines whilst in the garden, and producing an overall environmental plan, closely supervised by Charles Sturt Council.

Financially supported by membership fees, grants and fundraising, we have been able grow our garden from strength to strength. One regular fundraising activity takes place at a stall in front of Bunnings Warehouse at Mile End. The sausage sizzle provides regular income.

Inside the HCG plot, a tool shed was constructed in 2014 and a veranda has recently been built to provide shade in summer and create additional space for social activities. Today we have three beehives, which incidentally survived the intense heat of the summer when those in the neighbourhood did not survive. Occasional infrastructure demands have been met by council grants; however, a chicken pen was funded by a grant from Bendigo Bank and built by job seekers under the Work for the Dole program. A mural on the shed wall is an example of public art, painted by Meredith Russell. We have worm farms and composting containers. Fences have been built and maintained by council.

Each year we attempt to respond to our community members’ needs. As a result, a children’s play area has been constructed, used by young folk when their parents are working in the garden. Children often help water plants.

We currently have 80 HCG members, connecting a diverse local population in terms of gender, age and income. Sixty garden beds are owner occupied, and a few larger sections are allocated for community members who do not mind sharing a plot. It is expected that HCG members attend a minimum of six activity days each year, usually held on the first Sunday of each month. Sitting around a table in the garden, gardening basics are discussed.

Mulch, how we can save water, organic pest control and worm farming are often topics of conversation, amidst who made the cake and guessing its ingredients.

A group of men meet once a week. It is a bit like a Men’s Shed really. Together the men manage the irrigation and deal with structural issues such as building shadecloth supports, necessary for protecting plants in the summer heat. One source of water is from the rain collected in a storage tank, the other is bore water. Bore water for the garden is pumped to the other tank via a bore connected to Henley Oval. My partner John worked on the irrigation system. In a section of the garden where wicking beds are built, the irrigation system is innovative. It relies on evaporation sensors and the delivery of predefined volumes of bore water to plant beds using a solar-powered low dripper hose delivery mechanism. However, in the last few years most brick plots have been converted to wicking beds. A wicking bed holds up to 200 litres of water and can sustain a garden plot for at least a week, even in hot weather. There are numerous advantages in a wicking bed garden, apart from reducing the need to water plants. It makes weed control very easy, there is reduced evaporation, and it appears to maintain nutrient levels at the roots without leaching away.

Our location is good. It is next to the Henley Oval, which has a separate building with a sport hall, toilet facilities and carparking spaces. The council has built another recreation area next to HCG, which includes stone benches set around a fireplace and speaks to the heritage of First Nation Australians.

Henley Community Garden

We are on Facebook. A bimonthly newsletter is sent to all members. We have received positive press comments in the local newspapers, on radio and TV. Our networks are strong. And we create social events, bringing people together. A Solstice gathering was held 22 June 2019. Over 60 people covering all ages attended. We shared soup, baked pizza in our new oven, and sat around an open fire.

It is really great to get to know local people; you feel a good sense of community support. You get to know so many people. That's the most beautiful part. It's a really great connection. You can see that the community garden offers its workers a wide variety of fresh produce. There is always something to do in the garden, providing many opportunities for recreation and exercise. Local people stroll past and stop to talk with us while we are in the garden. I think the garden gives us a real sense of satisfaction and purpose. Possibly, access to a garden has many impacts on a person’s physical and emotional wellbeing. It is a wonderful way to connect with people.

(L to R): Angela Evans (Mayor), John Klopp, Chris Fountain, Deslie Goudie (HCG) and Sophie Thomson (Gardening Australia) with the Community Garden Award 2017