FEATURE STORY
Putting the hen in Henley The story of the Happy Hens social enterprise that has turned a Henley bowling green into so much more than a city garden. WORDS NICOLA RICHES
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It stands in stark contrast to the bustling city that surrounds it
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itting in the space between Victoria Road and the Parramatta River at Henley is a pocket of civic amenity. At the heart, the Community Centre with bowling greens and an unrivalled view of the city skyline, and just close by Gladesville Reserve; the non-profit, State-funded Riverside Pre-School and the buildings that house the local community radio station 2RRR. Walking around it you get a simultaneous sense of nostalgia for a time when places like these were abundant, and what is possible what our city future could look like if places like these were restored in every suburb. Nestled among this is the Henley Green Community Garden, run by the Happy Hens Social Enterprise. Worn pathways circle vegepods, skirt alongside vegetable and herb beds, and lead you to old greenkeeper sheds that have been spruced up with recycled materials. A succulent garden, wooden tables to gather at least 30 people under umbrellas, chicken coops for the real Happy Hens of the garden and bursts of colour at every turn, it stands in stark contrast to the bustling city that surrounds it – just like urban farms across the world. Henley Green Community Garden was inspired by city farms such as Mudchute that
