Women on Farms
Women on Farms members spent a wonderful day marvelling at the lovely lotus and waterlily flowers.
After an informative talk by Lyn Dwyer about what the lotus and waterlily flowers, stalks and roots can be used for a walk along the 2kms of tracks had the cameras busy.
After about 30 years of cabbage growing the land has been transformed with over 30 ponds, thousands of flowers, with special plants featured in green houses and a Fairy Garden for the children.
The family run enterprise with Geoff and Yvonne Cochrane and Lyn has developed into world class business. The farming and vegetable growing skills that supported cabbage production and marketing has been used to create a haven for introduced plants and local flora and fauna.
The Giant Lily, with the biggest leaves that can support a baby or even two young children, sported a beautiful white flower. These flowers only survive for a few days but there was another bud ready.
In Oxford, UK, this type of waterlily is featured as spectacular but it was small in comparison to the Yarra Junction monsters. Monet’s garden in France is delightful but again the lotus and waterlily lake with many lovely bridges fills a larger vista with the gum trees behind to remind you where you are.
Throughout the walks flowers abound with Hibiscus and Bougainvillea and other beautiful blooms everywhere. After a pleasant walk around the ponds sheltered lunch tables and a restaurant or take away shop offered very tasty fried lotus root chips, great coffee and food.
The short season to visit these gardens is from December 27th to early April each year, with many Women on Farms members already planning a return visit.
Plants and other merchandise were available with very helpful advice.
Women of all ages are welcome to join Women on Farms. The key criterion is an interest in farming and farming women. There is no need to be actively farming to participate. For more details contact secretary, Jean Irvine, ph. 0429488156, or go to our website at www.womenonfarms.org for the monthly program ing for landscape photos.
David and Jane then hosted a "picnic"tea while waiting for the sun to go down, giving the ideal light for photos, and for the next competition subject, "After Sundown".
On March 13, 17 members attended a tutorial by David Barton. on Macro Photography. He discussed the equipment needed, the correct settings needed, the attention to composition, and the need for PATIENCE.
David then screened a brief audio visual of some of his own Macro images.
Meetings are held the first Monday each month at Mawarra Workshops, when visitors are welcome. For further information phone 0419 525 124, or visit the club website. been identified by the Lardner survey of 1879 as a park site. The shire set aside 87 acres between Burke St and the railways with Hazel Creek running through it. It was swampy, and away from the town, but the council had great plans for it. Catani, a landscape gardener and designer, who was involved in major works in Melbourne and the draining of the Koo wee rup swamp, prepared a design.
But the park was criticised as too boggy, mosquito-ridden, in need of drainage, and too far from town. The site was eventually ditched, and the council bought a site of eight or 10 acres in Albert Street as it was ideal for a park, being very central with a gentle undulation a stream in the centre. where it would be possible to prepare a beautiful fernery.
Steph described the various stages as the park gradually evolved into the Civic Park enjoyed today. successful day with lots of interest shown.
May is Heritage Month. The society is holding an information day at the kiosk, Palmerston St, Warragul on Thursday, May 18.
The family history writers circle meet on the second and fourth Friday of each month from 10am to until noon at the Warragul Library.
The society meet on the upper floor of the Old Shire Hall, Queen St, Warragul at 8pm.
For more infromation contact the secretary Barbara on 56113871 or visit the website westgippslandgenealogy.com