What is Spring Day?
Myall Park Botanic Garden has been hosting Spring Day for many years. In days past they were called “Open Days”, but the purpose was always to bring people together to enjoy the beautiful Garden and the collection of Australian native plants, share knowledge and experience of growing natives, and join with others to welcome the coming of Spring. Of course, there is no better place in the Western Downs Region to do that but right here at Myall Park Botanic Garden.
As well as participating in the planned activities, you could take a wander through the many “rooms” or divisions of the Garden, take a self-guided Garden Art tour, do some of the walks through various parts of the Garden named for their special native plant features (such as Mallee or Chinchilla White Gum), spot some birds from the bird hide, take a tour through the heritage nursery buildings, or do some retail therapy at our gift shop. Why not bring your tent or caravan and stay a few days. There is plenty of room and lots to see and do.
Celebrating our gorgeous Grevilleas
This year our theme is all about Grevilleas featuring a special presentation and demonstration from a native plant expert. Of course, there will be our best park run event as well as a couple of new and brilliant art features to present to you. It will be a great day – free entry, food, fun and flowers. What more could you want? Oh, and great raffles prizes to win. As well there will be stall full of native plants, arts & crafts and the gift shop will be open so you can do some early Christmas shopping.
Chris Nikolic is a very experienced horticulturist and will be our presenter. More information to follow.
Artist’s statement by Robyn Mulder.
The creation of this piece was partly inspired by a hanging rock installation by Ken Unsworth an Australian, whose work I saw in Europe many years ago. Unsworth is one of Australia’s most significant artists of the contemporary era.
Brad Barratt, my collaborator, mentioned his collection of rocks when I discussed the possibility of creating something related at Myall Park. The installation is outdoors in a harsh climate so the hanging materials need to be metallic. I had a great quantity of copper wire also supplied by Brad and was able to securely tie the rocks with this. The wires were then woven through chains which hang from a pipe. All the pipes used are old irrigation pipes from Myall Park Botanic Garden. The tea candle holders now with mounted rocks are also provided by Brad. He also supplied welding and construction expertise for the framework.
This work also has a kinetic dimension in that the candle holders and the hanging rocks move in the breeze, an advantage of this installation being in the outdoors.
The rocks used and their points of origin are as follows.:
Petrified Wood -Miles
Standing rocks starting at the Gallery end.
Sandstone Arenite – Carnarvon
Milky Quartz – Hughenden
Petrified Wood – Chinchilla
Granite – Mt Isa
Sandstone Wakes – Porcupine Gorge
Andesite Phenocrysts – Charters Towers
Daisy Gypsum – Winton
Hanging Rocks (Starting Gallery end)
Quartz – Hughenden
Moonrock Cretaceous – Richmond
Moonrock – Coolabah Station Hughenden
Conglomerate – Hughenden
Sandstone – Carnarvon
Gneiss – Porcupine Gorge
Moonrock – Coolabah Station
Quartzite – Hughenden
Sandstone – Carnarvon
Outside standing circle starting gallery end Clockwise
Petrified Wood – Miles
Laterite – Glenmorgan
Andesite – Charters Towers
Boulder Opal – Opalton
Striped Sandstone – Stradbroke
Conglomerate – Hughenden
Gypsum Crystal – Hughenden
Petrified Wood – Miles
This has to be the best park run in the Western Downs! Come and breathe in the fresh country air as you run or walk along a well-maintained dirt course through our tranquil Australian native botanic garden. The 3.5km course is suitable to off road prams and wheelchairs.
Entry is free. Registration is open from 7.15am. The course is well marked with plenty of water stations to keep you hydrated.
It is a great way to start the day. Do the course with your whole family and stay on to enjoy our Spring Day celebration.
