VOLUNTEER

SNAPSHOTS

The Potty Potters January plant sale at the Bobby

White Potting Pavilion was very successful. Roger

Lenehan (above) and Eddie did the gator-shuttle,

taking purchases to the car park, Larraine Bilbie

pictured at left with Elwyn Paton, took the money

and Geoff Hurling below, helped the customers with

their purchases. Great team effort Potty Potters!

Young Volunteer….When Wynton Hurling

visits his Nan and Pop (Geoff and Apryl) he

volunteers at the Gardens. Wynton lives in

Ashgrove and goes to Nudgee School.

Great to see our young volunteers working

with us during the school holidays…..Ed

CONGRATULATIONS TO EDDIE FENTON

Eddie Fenton, our Works Manager, has been recognised in the

inaugural Wright Community Contribution Awards. Federal

Member for Wright, Scott Buchholz announced the awards

saying.. “that without the selflessness of volunteers, many local

community organisations and services would cease to exist”.

“…...Eddie Fenton, a dedicated member of the Tamborine

Mountain Garden Club, who is also the honorary works

manager of the Botanic Gardens, participates in the Spring-

time on the Mountain event and is a Tamborine Mountain

Lions Club member.”

A well deserved Award, Eddie. Congratulations from your fellow Volunteers.

TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN

BOTANIC GARDENS

NEWSLETTER

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015

Editor: Chris Davison chrisdavison98@hotmail.com Manager: 0488 033 239

www.tmbotanicgardens.org.au

Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens—2015 Volunteers

The obligatory ‘start-of-the-year’ photo-shoot of volunteers (you can never get the whole crew

together at any one time!) is always a lot of fun and can take quite a while—but not this year.

There was an urgency to get back to work after the morning tea break—clean ups from heavy

rain, the Sooty Owl Trail had the help of three Wwoofers and volunteers were on a roll. We

can also thank Nigel who, with his military background, is a great help at rounding up the

troops — the photo shoot was over in a flash.

AROUND THE GARDENS:

*Bitumen paths and roadways in urgent need of

repair—quotes to be sought.

*Rainforest walk in need of an upgrade—Roger,

Eddie and Brian to construct steps and board-

walks on a day outside normal volunteering.

*Engraving machine now 10 years old and in

need of replacement—Roger to investigate and

report back to Committee.

*Bamboo screens in Japanese Garden to be re-

placed—noted that Man Lin Hiew is doing a

great job of maintaining the Japanese Garden.

*Gardens budget being drawn up—Roger to

speak to as many contractors as possible to get

the most accurate costing for projects planned.

*Irrigation in the Camellia Garden is to be up-

graded—Roger and Eddie.

*Extra mowing necessary due to the wet

summer—Eddie and Geoff.

*Cascades contemplation site in full splendour

due to the high rainfall over the Summer

months— (see Geoff Hurling’s photo at right).

VALE William Henri Haseler 30.07.1925—01.01.2015

—Past Curator of Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens

Bill Haseler is an integral part of our early-days history. He was one of

our early volunteers whose foresight, hard work and dedication, over a

long period of his retirement years, will always be remembered and

appreciated.

Bill became the Gardens first Curator and was a Garden Club President. With his first wife,

Armyne, he was responsible for the establishment of the Rhododendron Walk which today

houses a significant number of cultivars as well as a successful collection of Vireya species.

Our Gardens currently represent Queensland as a contact for the Australian Rhododendron

Society Inc.

He will always be remembered by the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens and the

Garden Club as a much respected Honorary Curator and leading force in the develop-

ment of what has now become a major attraction on Tamborine Mountain.

An interesting notice in the local paper….

Christmas Picnic 25th December

No family here and unsure of what to do for Christmas? Join others in a similar

situation at Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens from 12 noon onwards. Just

show up with your picnic lunch and rug/chair. Look for the red and green balloons!

* * *

Love that locals make good use of our Gardens, and that our volunteer group put

so much effort into making sure the Gardens were looking their best over the

Festive season…....Ed

Oh dear!!! Dusky Moor hens built a

nest under the dragon fly sculpture but

heavy rain put a stop to that. Each twig

was painstakingly moved by the male to

higher ground, which turned out to be

on top of the sculpture.

A TRIBUTE TO PHIL AND DON HOBBS

Years ago when Springtime on the Mountain

was based at the Vonda Youngman Centre a

Redland Bay couple, Phil & Don Hobbs,

brought plants from their Bromeliad Nursery

and ran a stall at the Hall. They were so im-

pressed by the work being done by Garden

Club volunteers at the Botanic Gardens that

they offered to establish a Bromeliad garden

there.

A site was selected under a stand of eucalypts

by the Hydrangea bed. Each Thursday they

arrived with a car load of plants which were

carefully placed among rocks and logs and

over the months and years the garden took

shape. Eventually the collection outgrew this

area and was moved in its ever expanding

form (complete with its dedication rock) to its

present site where it has thrived and become

an important feature in the Gardens.

After years of dedicated work, ill-health pre-

vented active participation but Phil and Don

continued their interest in the Gardens and

were still regular and generous donors. Even

after Don’s death in 2002, Phil took great

pleasure in following the fortunes of ‘their’

garden and a visit to her home always re-

sulted in a boot load of Bromeliads. Phil

passed away in October leaving us very much

in her debt.

Kay Ilett

SOOTY OWL TRAIL - Update

*Purchase of Owl Sculpture—watch

this space!! *Stage one now 3/4 complete.

*Stile complete and waiting installa-

tion—Ian Buckberry.

*The water wheel being made by The

Men’s Shed. *Bridge murals almost finished—Brian

*Interpretive signs in progress—Men’s

Shed and Brian.

A great ongoing effort Brian and

Mike. There is great anticipation

excitement amongst volunteers!