Event 1 2022 Ballarat Gardens



Report by Coral

Twenty three U3A Gardening Enthusiasts enjoyed a function at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens for our first event of the year held on 1st February 2022. The gardens welcome thousands of visitors yearly and attracts up to 60,000 people over the three day Begonia Festival weekend.

Both new and old  members enjoyed information from Terry O'Brien, Lorraine Powell and Wendy Sandiford who spoke on the lake water, the ferries as well as the Prime Ministers Walk.

Lake, Water and Ferries:

Lorraine spoke how the First Nation people used the lake, formerly a swamp as their meeting place, where they gathered eggs, meat and vegetables, making items from reeds and preserving their precious water source.  

With settlement, some of the following took place:
  • 1863 White swans were imported from England and added to the area now known as the Fairyland, and needed to be fenced in due to loss from feral animals.  
  • The first Curator, George Longley lived in a cottage at the gardens.
  • The gardens were declared the Ballarat Public and Community Gardens in 1867.
  • Around this time there was a wall of Tasmanian Blue Gums planted in Gillies Street and the Fernery was built which housed orchids, ferns, camellias and other delicate plants. 
  • The fire brigade would pump water from the lake to use and in turn, watered trees and plants. 
  • Gong and Kirks Reservoirs water was piped to the lake in later years.
  • Some of the work in the gardens was undertaken by prisoners from nearby jails. This was overseen by the Mayor of the City.
  • Ferries were introduced early in the 20th century and at one time, there were 20 ferries on the lake.  
  • A special function held by the Mayor of Ballarat took 500 elderly residents across the lake in the ferries to enjoy a 'special' afternoon tea.

Prime Ministers Avenue 

The avenue of the busts of our Prime Ministers starts at 1901 with the bust of our first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton.  1901 is the year of the birth of Federation.  In 1901 the six separate British colonies became one nation of Australia which became Federation.  The colonies are now states, retaining their own Governments with the central Federal Parliament known as the Commonwealth Government, governing the whole of Australia.

Thank you Terry, Lorraine and Wendy for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us. It was greatly appreciated.


Photos by Andrew

 









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