Passion and purpose

Gail Dihm enjoying the Cactus Garden

How did you first get involved with the Botanic Gardens?

I have been coming to the Gardens since I was a young girl. My membership with Foundation & Friends started in November 2004 – I wanted to give back in return for all the happy hours spent wandering around. After retiring from work in 2014, I was able to spend more time in the Gardens. This included attending exhibitions, talks, book launches and morning teas. I started to donate in 2020.

Are there specific programs you are passionate about supporting?

My donations have not been directed to a particular cause, I leave that to Foundation & Friends. However, I have indicated my interest in the Scholarship Program and funds to enable staff to attend meetings and seminars. It has been most rewarding to attend briefings where recipients have talked about their experiences.

How long have you been volunteering?

My volunteer career started in May 2015 as the Thursday Office Assistant in Cottage 6, working alongside the tireless Linda Cholson (Office Coordinator). Both cottages come with challenges – steep, narrow stairs, cold in winter, termites… However, I love being in the cottage with a view from my desk to the grassy strip and trees on Mrs Macquarie’s Road. The role provides lots of contact with our members, processing memberships, booking events and general duties.

What has been the highlight so far?

It will be hard to surpass the experience of dealing with our recent diva, Miss Putricia (see page 18). I volunteered on numerous shifts and saw her throughout the week – initially simply standing there all regal until finally showing us her full bloom. It was such a happy time. Despite crowds queuing for hours some days, people were happy to chat and donate.

And a highlight as a donor?

It gave me great pleasure to have an artwork I had donated hung at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. The artwork, Endangered by Cathy Gray, was part of the exhibition On the Edge: Species at Risk. It features 755 of the 758 endangered and critically endangered Australian plant species. To me it demonstrated the important work of conservation, education and science that the Gardens commit to.

Do you have a favourite plant or flower?

I do love a perfumed flower. Recently the Royal Botanic Garden grew some sweet peas in the Trial Garden and then in Cadi Jam Ora – that perfume revived old memories as they were a popular flower when I was young.

Do you have a favourite spot in the Garden?

Oddly, one spot I like has few plants – the Bennelong Lawn. The views from there are simply stunning. Every Thursday, weather permitting, I can be found in the Succulent Garden having lunch.

Advice for anyone considering supporting the Gardens?

Volunteering is a continuing source of delight. After 44 years in the workforce my retirement plan needed something to keep me active. The Gardens have provided that in so many ways; a new circle of colleagues, always something new to see and it is such a happy place to be. All sorts of volunteer opportunities are available – something for every skill set. If individual circumstances provide for the ability to donate I strongly recommend it as a two-way benefit – something for the Gardens and for yourself.