The Whittlesea Community Garden (WCG) originated in July 2010 in response to the community’s needs after the 2009 bushfires. It began as a partnership between the Whittlesea Community, Whittlesea Secondary College, Whittlesea Community Recovery Committee, Whittlesea Community Building Initiative, Plenty Valley Community Health and the City of Whittlesea. It is now auspiced by and is one of the main subgroups of the Whittlesea Community House Inc.
The aim was to create a community garden with a range of activities that met the needs of many different groups and individuals within fire-affected areas of the City of Whittlesea and beyond. The lasting legacies as a result of the volunteering and community activity has assisted in the ongoing recovery process – “the community garden is an opportunity for the community to come together, build together and remember together”.
The vision of the Whittlesea Community Garden is to create a welcoming space accessible to all members of our community that offers diverse pathways for people to:
• learn – create a sustainable community resource for current and future generations to enjoy;
• share – promote and enable social connection within the community;
• grow – provide a space for people to come together for a range of community building activities;
• heal – provide opportunities for reflection and have opportunities to improve health and wellbeing.
The WCG offers garden beds for lease (individuals & groups), shared garden beds and provides a community space that includes walking paths, picnic table & chairs, ornamental garden beds, art displays, an amphitheatre and a reflective area. We have twice weekly supported session times when a facilitator and volunteers are always on site and available to introduce new people, co-ordinate activities and provide friendship, knowledge and support.
While the prime interest in the community garden is hands on gardening, a large number of people in our community have seen the opportunity for community connections without gardening. From this a number of arts projects have developed, as well as groups with interests in using the garden for community meetings and a learning space with workshops and guest speakers. The community use of the garden is not limited to gardening!
The WCG has a part time paid facilitator who enables the supported session times, coordinates volunteers and members and arranges and facilitates group activities and partnerships. It has 35 current members who volunteer their time to the development and upkeep of the garden; as well as group memberships, including the local aged care facility, library and ABLE Australia (non-profit organisation that provides services to people living with multiple disabilities).
Source: City of Whittlesea, December 2022
