Interview Recording
Interview Transcript
Lynda Skipper interviewed on 10 May 2024 by Liz Chappell and Lynne Walker
Synopsis
Lynda Skipper and her late husband Bill came to live at Ollera Station, west of Guyra, Northern NSW, in 1984. Bill was a descendant (by marriage) of John and George Everett who came to Ollera in 1838 with an Aboriginal guide who used the name Ollera explaining it meant ‘sweet water’.
The Everett brothers brought acorns with them, which formed the nucleus of the Ollera garden and landscape trees, along with early plantings of elms and radiata pines. The iron fence surrounding Ollera’s garden was brought from the Everett’s home village of Biddestone in England as ship’s ballast.
Ollera’s outbuildings are heritage listed, as is the private brick church, designed by Horbury Hunt and built in 1876, The homestead was constructed in several stages from the1880s to 1912.
Trees like the Liquidambars that Bill and Lynda planted 40 years ago have now reached glorious maturity. Lynda has added understory shrubs, topiary and a woodland planting of hellebores.
Ollera has opened regularly for Australia’s Open Garden Scheme, garden groups and local charities.