Friends of Williamstown Botanic Gardens - Latest News!

Talk - Dry Stone Walls

4/8/2017

Our next General Meeting on Monday 7th August is a joint meeting with the Inner West Branch of the National Trust Victoria. It will feature a talk by Raylene Marshall, curator of 'a stone upon a stone', about Victoria's significant dry stone walls. Dry stone walls were used not only for fencing and walls as a result of land clearing but also by indigenous people for fish and eel traps. Find out more about these intriguing structures we take for granted on our rural landscapes.
Check your emails for details from Lindy. If you're not a member, please leave a comment below. Maybe consider becoming a member!

Time to get painting!

7/3/2017

Calling all artists and photographers!
Our bi-annual art competition, Paint the Gardens, returns to the gardens on Saturday, 22nd April. We expect to have many entries so make sure you register your work early to avoid missing out. The theme is Williamstown Gardens and Environs so show us what you love about our gardens and surrounding area.

Details and information about how to register can be found here.

Santa's schedule!

4/12/2016

Top secret! We have Santa's schedule for Hobsons Bay and he's visiting our gardens on Wednesday!!! Put on your Christmas cheer and join in the festive fun. Enjoy stories, songs, a craft and meet a very jolly visitor!

Wednesday 7 December
10.30am to 11.15am
Williamstown Botanic Gardens

Monday 12 December
6.30pm to 7.15pm
Santa and The Bookends concert
Logan Reserve, Altona

Tuesday 13 December
10.30am to 11.15am
Altona North Community Library

Wednesday 14 December
10.30am to 11.15am
Altona Meadows Library and Learning Centre

Thursday 15 December
10.30am to 11.15am
Altona Library

Friday 16 December
9.30am to 10.15am
Newport Community Hub

Saturday 17 December
10.30am to 11.15am
Williamstown Library

Reading Corner Volunteers

5/9/2016

The Reading Corner has been hibernating over winter but now it's time to get it going again. We rely on our very generous volunteers to set up and pack the items away. Without our volunteers, this amazing and appreciated activity would not be able to happen.
If you'd like to get involved, please contact Carol (0411042511) or carol @ challispalace.com and you can be on our roster for Spring.
Get in early for the dates that suit you.

Winter Reading

15/7/2016

Friends maybe interested in reading an article about Urban Tree Management - Strategies for Climate Change by Greg Moore, University of Melbourne, Burnley College in July's issue of Botanic Gardener.
Here is a link to it.

Open Botanic Gardens Day - Sunday 29th May

24/5/2016

On Sunday 29th May, our Gardens, which is one of Victoria’s earliest and most intact botanic gardens, will celebrate the Australia and New Zealand wide inaugural Botanic Gardens Open Day with mini tours of the Gardens at 11am and 2pm, an historical display of the Gardens and children’s activities such as a nature table, Nature I Spy and our ever popular reading corner.

Invite your family and friends to bring a picnic lunch and a comfy chair to join us amongst our majestic Washington Palms, Moreton Bay Figs and Aleppo Pine from 10.30am to 3pm.

We would love to hear from you if you can help out on the day and/or contribute cupcakes for morning tea.

Get involved in 2016

4/2/2016

Our latest newsletter is filled with activities for everyone to get involved with. There are guest speakers, excursions, Storytime under the Elm as well as a Friends Get-Together Picnic for ALL members on 14th February under the big blue gum at 2 pm.

Please download our newsletter below and update your diary with our calendar of activities.

A garden get-together in 1922
Photo courtesy SLV

newsletter_no_26_jan_2016.pdf
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A Bush Christmas in the Gardens

2/12/2015

Our gardens will host a special visitor on Friday, 4th December at 10.30 am. There will be stories, activities and songs with the theme Bush Christmas.

Bring a picnic and enjoy this special event put on for you by Hobsons Bay Libraries and the Friends of the Williamstown Botanical Gardens.

Finding the Reading Corner!

19/9/2015

It's spring and the September school holidays have started already! If you're wondering what to do with the kids or grandchildren, why not head down to the gardens to explore until you find our Reading Corner which is 'hidden' in a different location every day by volunteers.

The cushions, rugs, stands and a selection of garden related books have been made available to you to enjoy in the gardens by a Hobsons Bay Community Grant and kind donations from our Friends.

Details: The Reading Corner is set up on weekdays between 10 am and 3 pm and only appears if the weather permits.

If you're interested in helping out with the Reading Corner, just send an email to the Friends of Williamstown Gardens. It's an easy and fun to help out.

August Newsletter - Preparation

20/8/2015

Preparations are underway in the gardens. The pond is getting its biannual clean up and the irrigation system is ready for those long, hot, dry summers. The Friends are also preparing activities, meetings and storytimes including our AGM which will be held on the 21st October. Find out more in our latest newsletter.