Migrant Gardeners in Brisbane: Celebrating an Ephemeral Heritage
A number of unusual gardens nestle among the hills and dales in and around Brisbane. These are the gardens fulfilling the dreams and longings of migrant gardeners who have arrived in Australia for different reasons and at different times over the last fifty to sixty years, all eventually drawn to Brisbane for its warm climate and relaxed way of life.
Why are these gardens different to all the other gardens that make up the verdant richness of Brisbane? Can we recognise the work of a migrant gardener as we walk along the street or are there hidden stories awaiting to be told? Here are the stories of twenty migrant gardeners from ten cultural groups. All are intriguingly different and yet echo the same underlying reason why the act of gardening is so important if one is to settle in a new land.
ESSAYS
The Garden as an Expression of Migration
Italian Gardeners in Australia: from Essential Gardens to Paradise Gardens
From the Cedars of Lebanon To Moreton Bay Figs: Lebanese Gardens in Australia
From Bitter Lemons to Prickly Pears Greek Gardens In Australia
Eastern European Politics: the Legacy of Croatian Gardens in Australia
Baltic Gardeners: from Medieval Lithuanian Forests to Tropical Rainforests
Fruitful Sites – the Chinese Garden in Australia
Unusual Migrant Gardeners: a French Seed Collector and some Madeira Orchids