Bursting with pride is how Gargarro Development Group chair Athol “Doc’’ McDonald described the Girgarre community’s feeling as he delivered the keynote address at the official opening of botanic gardens last week.
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“It is a momentous day in Girgarre’s history and shows what can be achieved by a small community working toward a common goal,” Mr McDonald said.
Standing inside the soundshell that signalled a start to the project six years ago, Mr McDonald shared the story of Girgarre’s transformation from a town losing a major employer to a valuable member of an international botanical gardens organisation.
The land on which the first stage of the five-stage development is was gifted to the community by the Kraft Heinz company after an initial offer of cash was turned down and a compromise was made to allow the community to take possession of the former factory site.
“It was a bold and ambitious project that has been embraced by the community since day one, no matter what the challenges of the last 10 years have been,” he said.
Fittingly, Kraft Heinz was not only represented at the opening, but long-time employee Yasmin Boswood was afforded the honour of cutting the ribbon of the viewing tower at the heart of the project.
It was indicative of Mr McDonald and his team’s ability to maintain, and nurture relationships with not only large corporations, but also at all levels of government and with other stakeholders in the project.
“This project has progressed because of partnerships,” he said.
“When Heinz announced they were going to close the factory and offered a cash donation the community responded by saying thanks, but can we have the land instead?
“They not only said yet to that request, but the value of that donation more than quadrupled when they also gave us the water right.”
With a $3 million-plus price tag accompanying the botanic gardens project, to this point, the development committee has ended up with a semi-finished product which will — at its conclusion — be a unique and world-class gardens.
Mr McDonald shared the story of his first visit to the Cranbourne gardens, which inspired his group to seek out the landscape architects responsible for its design.
“We were inspired by the red sand garden, it remains one of the most spectacular sites of any garden I have seen,” he said.
“And it made the choice for a landscape gardener pretty easy,” referencing the decision of the group to make initial contact with one of Australia’s most awarded landscape architecture practices, Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL).
Mr McDonald said he was not sure how interested such a large organisation would be in working with small community with not a lot of money.
He also shared the story of his group arriving without a concept plan for the gardens, something that came as a result of back-and-forth discussions between the development group and TCL.
“They prepared a master plan for us at quite a reasonable cost,” he said.
Lucas Dean, who evolved as the conjuit between the group and TCL in his role as the lead in the development of the detailed garden design, eventually became the project manager for construction of the garden.
Together with Chris Russell, executive director of the same Cranbourne gardens that inspired the group, and the Botanic Gardens Australian New Zealand group, a collaborative environment was creative from which the project thrived.
“We have had some great mentoring but, in the end, we wouldn’t be here if not for the Victorian Government,” Mr McDonald said.
He said it was way back in 2016 that the first grant enabled the group to build the soundshell and develop the lawns, which have hosted several community events since the installation of the stage.
“Almost $3 million spent on this project in the last 12 months and there have been many other people responsible for what we have in front of us today,” Mr McDonald said.
He honoured Gerard Brandrick and Shannon Johns, the two principals of Echuca architectural firm Brandrick Architects and the eventual construction company behind the earthworks, Quarrell Civil Construction.
“Brandricks significantly cut what they would usually charge, while Marc Quarrell was a saviour when we ran into problems finding a contractor,” he said.
Mr McDonald said the initial stages of securing a construction company shortly saw his group “run into a bit of strife’’ when a company withdrew, then another quoted double what was in the group’s coffers — prior to the arrival of Quarrell.
“They not only did a wonderful job, but at the end of the project Marc said he wanted to do something for us and donated the gravel for the entrance roads to the project,” he said.
Among the many other contributors mentioned by the development group chair was Rochester Nursery operator Scott Wise, who he said had gone out of his way to assist.
The army of volunteers that turned out at various staged of the project also gained his acknowledgement, as did the many financial contributors to the project.
“We did have to find a significant amount of matching funding, which came from a group of sources,” he said.
He mentioned the generosity of the neighbouring Australian Consolidated Milk business, among many others, before explaining the extended relationships that had been borne out of the development of the gardens.
A project involving the Gargarro Green Thumbs Nursery and the Kyabram Fauna Park started two years ago and involved the growing of a Eucalypt plantation at rear of the gardens to provide ongoing sustenance for the Zoo Victoria site’s koala population.
“That is an amazing partnership between the fauna park and Friends of Gargarro group,” he said.
He paid tribute to the Campaspe Shire’s planning departmen, in particular Ali Cook and Andrew fletcher, who he explained had worked through a series of hurdles that could have otherwise derailed the project.
“These gardens are in a farming zone and I am not sure how just many cafes are located on farming land,” he said.
“The shire has been fantastic to us.”
Mr McDonald ended his passionate address to the gathered mess by explaining there was still a lot of work to do on the site as the challenge of gradually replacing plants damaged from the flood continued.
“This is the first stage of a five-stage garden,” he said.
“Six months ago I wondered if we had the energy to continue, but with a better understanding of the full potential of the garden I am sure everyone will find the energy to move forward.”
Mr McDonald explained the project, as it continued to grow, would require ongoing investment and manpower in order to maintain the gardens at a level worthy of its original design.
“The task we will have is to find the funds for ongoing maintenance,” he said.
“For now it will be maintained by volunteers, but as we move forward we will at least need a curator and some part-time staff.”
This week’s eight-page Kyabram Free Press liftout is a salute to not on the Gargarro Development Group, but all those involved in the project and recognises the extraordinary commitment of a small group to creating what will be a generational attraction to the small country town.
Congratulations Girgarre!
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor