PRESIDENTS REPORT 2024
(JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024)
Newsletters and Meetings:
Over the past financial year three Newsletters were prepared, July and November 2023 and March 2024 and have been placed on the Friends website. The Friends have held three General meetings, July and November 2023 and March 2024.
Annual General Meeting:
The AGM was held on the 11th July 2023. Denise Saville who had been secretary since 9th October 2012 stepped down from the committee. Brendon Gray was nominated for the role of secretary and public officer for the Friends and was elected unopposed. John Hawker remained as President and Jill Hawker continued in the role of Treasurer. The position of Victoria Gardens Volunteers Coordinator remained unfilled.
Instagram:
Since setting up our Instagram account in November 2022 the Friends have made regular garden and plant posts. Our following has increased to 112 followers. Thank you to Sarah Jardine for managing the Instagram account.
Website:
The Friends website has been upgraded by Nick Hawker and it is now much easier to navigate; additional information and photographs have been included.
Garden Works:
In September 2023 Council undertook works to rejuvenate the sunken oval. These works were to address the current poor condition of the grass on the sunken oval ahead of summer and included:
Due to the need to undertake oval repair works about every 2-3 years and the associated costs, the Friends wrote to the CEO Mr Dale Dickson on 27 November 2023 commending the Council on the recent restoration of the sunken oval lawn in Victoria Gardens. The repair of the oval has helped rejuvenate the garden, a heritage garden of significant historic, landscape and botanical value and included in the Heritage Overlay (HO153) of the Stonnington Planning Scheme.
Letter to CEO 27 Nov 2023:
The Friends pointed out that restoration of the oval had been a regular occurrence, starting with major turf works in August – September 2017 which included a new irrigation system, regrading, and instant turf. This was followed two years later (September 2019) by resowing of the central lawn area and now again in September – November 2023. We expressed our concern that the work is undertaken at a considerable cost and results in closure of part of the garden to the public and restricted use of the oval and enjoyment of the gardens. By the time the lawn repairs occur the area is severely degraded, bare of lawn and full of depressions. This impact is largely due to dog activity which has increased in recent years, especially during
COVID. We are concerned that the lawn will quickly become degraded again with the return to unlimited “off-leash” access that dogs are allowed. We are also concerned that this unlimited “off=leash” access on the oval makes it difficult for members of the community, especially young children, to play and picnic in this area.
To help reduce the pressure on the oval of Prahran’s only heritage garden and to improve community access to the whole garden during the day, we suggested that Council consider one of the following options:
This would improve community access to the oval during the day, especially for people with young children and substantially reduce the pressure on the oval surface, resulting in the reduced need (and expense) for rehabilitation of this area on a regular basis.
On the 18 December 2023 the following response was received from Mr Dale Dickson, CEO for City of Stonnington;
Your concern regarding the ongoing damage to the sunken oval is noted. The deterioration of the turf is caused by a range of factors, although it is acknowledged that dogs are a contributing factor to the turf decline in the sunken oval.
Stonnington has approximately 100 open space areas of which 26 are designated as dog off-leash areas. Victoria Gardens is a much-loved recreational reserve and as I’m sure you would appreciate; the park is well-utilised by many local dog-owning residents. As such, any change to the current off-leash restrictions would require careful consideration and consultation with the surrounding community.
In the interests of ensuring our open spaces are being effectively utilised in accordance with prevailing community expectations, a review of the current off-leash arrangements at Victoria Gardens is intended for late 2024/ early 2025. I will ask Council’s Animal Management Team to reach out to the Friends of
Victoria Gardens to ensure your valuable feedback is received as a part of this process.
Please contact Brad Petryczkowycz, Manager Liveability and Compliance on 0408 333 892 or bpetrycz@stonnington.vic.gov.au, should you wish to discuss the matter further.
Victoria Gardens Volunteers (VGV):
All the documents related to the VGV including Proposal, Guidelines and Risk Assessment documents were modified and reworked based on guidelines used for other volunteer groups. These were returned to Deborah Neumann (Environmental Education Officer) as requested early last year.
In reply Deb asked if members would be flexible in agreeing to have working bees operate on weekdays (preferable Tues/Thurs, AM) for a duration of around 2 hours. She also suggested an option for working bees to be monthly or every 2 months as Council was happy to accommodate aligning working bees with planting/horticultural plans for the Victoria Gardens space (e.g. supporting annual displays for special events).
In a reply to Deb, who went on Maternity leave in April 2023, the Friends indicated that the preferred timing for a volunteer program is a Saturday morning as an objective of the volunteer program is to attract younger members who would not be available midweek.
We did not have any success in furthering this discussion with her maternity leave replacement. We are hoping to progress this in 2024. Further details to be presented at the July 2024 General Meeting.
Rear Entrances:
On 27 October 2023 the City of Stonnington wrote to residents in Trinian Street and Lewisham Road North. This followed damage to plants and beds by residents from rear entrances. Following the Garden Inspection Walk on 9 July (delayed from May) it was agreed that the letter should be resent as there are several new owners who have moved into Trinian Street.
Christmas Party:
Members of the Friends gathered in the Gardens on Sunday 3 December as a final 2023 activity.
Engaged Program:
In March 2024 the Friends were contacted by Zongo Kampengele from Council’s Social Support Program to arrange a tour of Victoria Gardens as part of their Engaged Program. This Program helps with social isolation and encourages exercise and community connection. On Monday 17th June and Thursday 20th June, John Hawker led groups of about 12 members of the local community on a guided tour of the Gardens. Significant plants, features and history of the Gardens were highlighted. A copy of the newly revised Garden Guide was distributed to the participants. This is the third year that the FOVG has hosted a walk for the Engaged Program.
Garden Inspection Walk:
The annual Garden inspection walk was delayed and was held on Tuesday 9 July 2024 with Council staff Dominic Mazza, Adam De Zoete, and Chani Humphries who is a recently appointed arborist. Attending from the Friends were Gretchen Kaye, Sarah Jardine, Jenny Legge, Peter Saville, Jill and John Hawker.
While this inspection is later than usual and falls within the next reporting period, the report which is still being finalised is included below. It is hoped that the next walk will be in May-June 2025.
The main matters discussed include;
High Street and East Beds
East Flats Bed
Murray Street Beds and West Beds
Playground
The very difficult task of pruning the overgrown and thorny Bougainvillea back to the paling fence has recently occurred. This is a very important improvement and it is unfortunate that the house owner has indicated that he wants to retain the plant. Ongoing trimming to the fence line will be required.
It was suggested that future planting in the playground beds could include herbs, lemon balm, thyme, rosemary and vegetables like rhubarb, strawberry and artichoke. The planting could also include sunflowers, daffodil and jonquil bulbs.
I would like to thank fellow members of the Friends Committee - Brendon Gray, Secretary and Public Officer, Treasurer Jill Hawker, Nick Hawker website manager and Sarah Jardine who is managing the Instagram account for their contributions during the year.
Finally, I want to thank Nobby Seymour, a founding member of the Friends, and who has generously hosted our meetings at his studio until March 2024. Nobby has supported the work of the Friends since 1987. I also need to acknowledge the passing of Peter Legge in early 2024 also a founding member of the Friends who gave many years of support.
John Hawker
President
16 July 2024