Fundraising to Restore the Gardens

The Gardens are owned by the Dept. Sustainability & Environment and managed by Hepburn Shire. They are fortunate that prominent Melbourne interior designer Stuart Rattle has generously committed himself to supporting the rejuvenation of the Gardens that are Daylesford’s beautiful backdrop.

The Friends of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens has received supportive donations, topped up by a wintry cocktail party at the Raglan, and an open gardens programme.

William Sangster’s 1883 drawing for a Fern Gully

The FWHBG is fundraising to assist with the key project identified in all our visitor surveys - the neglected central Fern Gully: a circuit path, shaded by huge trees and vigorous ferns. Because the water was turned off a generation ago, there is no sound of water trickling over the Rustic Cascade, no misty atmosphere to create a cool place of enchantment.

We would like to see the Fern Gully and its Cascade restored for the Gardens’ 150th birthday in 2013.

Nick Massaro's postcard of the fernery in its prime

Sam Thompson’s scheme for its restoration
(Click on the image to enlarge)

Other Projects

Friends are also working on:
• Maintaining a cool-climate shady garden bed and growing plants for sale,
• Labelling 150 trees for the 150 birthday,
• Creating a Tree Collection policy,
• Building a schools’ programme,
• Restoring the original bandstand which we bought in remnant pieces.