Australian Garden History Society

ABOUT US

MEMBERSHIP

PUBLICATIONS


CONFERENCES & TOURS

CONFERENCES

Each year the AGHS hold a national conference in a different region within Australia. The first conference was held in Melbourne in 1980 where the Society was formed. Since then Conferences have been held in the Blue Mountains and Sydney in NSW, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide and Mt Gambier in South Australia, Toowoomba in Queensland and Perth in Western Australia.

Members and non members are invited to attend one and a half days of lectures by stimulating international and national speakers who are specialists in their fields, including garden design, architecture, garden history and cultural history.

The program always includes a day and a half of visits to many wonderful historic and contemporary public and private gardens. Extra days of garden visits are usually offered as an optional extra.

Associate YOUR name with the AGHS Conference – see Sponsorship Guidelines

30th Annual National Conference

Geelong, Victoria

16-18 October 2009

More than 200 delegates gathered at the Geelong Conference Centre for the 30th Annual National Conference entitled ‘Cultivating Australia Felix’. The three-day program skilfully explored the theme of pastoral expansion and a series of distinguished speakers examined the pastoral legacy, the gardens and homesteads of the area, which was opened up to European settlement after the journeys of Major Thomas Mitchell in 1836.

The theme was explored in three ways – through artists’ recording of the settled and natural landscape, through oral history, especially by descendants of significant properties and through on-site visits. A highlight was the day in the heart of the Western District, surveying the distinctive volcanic landscape and visiting historic gardens and properties not open to the public. A further optional day of visits followed on Monday 19 October when delegates were treated to other glorious station homesteads and their gardens.

For those with a yearning to see and learn more a three-day Post Conference Tour, led by writer and photographer, Trisha Dixon, travelled further west, staying at The Royal Mail, Dunkeld, to visit more of these private historic homesteads and gardens in the Grampians area.

All aspects of this conference and the tours booked out quickly. For those who hope to attend the next AGHS Annual National Conference in Launceston, Tasmania, please book early to avoid disappointment. Registration forms and online booking facilities will be available in April 2010.

2009 Conference Proceedings now available for viewing (8Mb).

TOURS

The AGHS regularly conducts specialised tours throughout Australia. The Society always endeavours to engage leaders who are knowledgeable and highly skilled in conducting tours.

These tours are wonderful opportunities to explore particular areas or themes in garden history and visit gardens rarely open to the public. Numbers are limited giving participants every chance to interact with leaders, garden owners and other participants.

Each year the AGHS holds a tour in association with the National Conference.

From time to time AGHS Branches conduct excellent tours in regional areas.
Look through the activities under Branch pages to find one which may interest you.

Edna Walling Tour

26-30 April 2010

4 nights and 5 days

Led by writer and photographer Trisha Dixon this tour will trace the development of Edna Walling’s distinctive style and take in her brilliant concepts; those signature low sweeping stone walls, her generously proportioned low pergolas, her understatement in tree selection, and other characteristic design features so well displayed in Autumn.

This 5 day, 4 night tour starts in Melbourne with Edna Walling’s earliest gardens and travels out through Mt Macedon to the Western District. Two nights are spent at The Royce in St Kilda Road and two nights at The Royal Mail, Dunkeld. All entries, accommodations, meals and transport are included in the tour price.

Cost: AGHS Members $1750, non-members $1850
Single supplement $400
For more information contact the AGHS office 03 9650 5043 or info@gardenhistorysociety.org.au

To book see flier