ACT Monaro Riverina Branch: AGM and Annual Lecture

AGM

Time: 5.30 p.m. – 6.00 p.m.

Annual Lecture: The Enduring Camelia Tree given by Dr Stephen Utick

Time: 6.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.

Camellias have played a part in Australia’s gardens for just on 200 years or perhaps longer. These much-celebrated flowering shrubs, loved for their diversity of forms and superb flowers, were first planted in the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney in 1823 by then Superintendent Charles Frazier.

The Branch is lucky to have an internationally recognised expert on this genus as a member in Dr Stephen Utick. This genus has been in cultivation for at least two thousand years and there have been recent steps taken by the International Camellia Society aimed at conserving ancient and historic camellia trees globally which Stephen will discuss. He will also discuss the issue of managing “living antiques” represented by the colonial camellias of NSW, which were among the first home-raised nursery stock of pre-Federation Australia.

Dr Utick is Vice-President of the International Camellia Society (Oceania), Chair of that Society’s Committee for Historic Camellia Conservation and Visiting Curator (Theaceae, the family of Camellias) at the Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust.

History, plants and gardens, the spirit of AGHS!

Venue: Room 6, The Griffin Centre, Canberra City.

Cost:  There is no charge for the AGM or the talk, but you are invited to make a donation towards support for refugees and displaced people in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. We will forward all proceeds to the UNHCR Humanitarian Appeal for Ukraine.

Book at: Trybooking.

More information: Nancy Clarke at clarkenancy624@gmail.com.