MYALL U3A Tea Gardens Garden Club members were recently invited to Jill and John Parker’s rural retreat at Girvan.

Garden Club members were enthusiastic to visit what was described by Jill as ‘Grannie’s Bush Camp’ and to discover what these retired potato farmers from Robertson had created.

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The 80-acre property is nestled in the valley of Girvan, an area of 66.24 square kilometres south west of Bulahdelah.
The Branch River runs past the property and flows into the Karuah River which, in turn, flows into Port Stephens.

The Branch River provides a nature corridor; evident from the five species of frogs, 50 species of birds and various red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos that have been identified on the property by field naturalists.

Jill and John purchased the property in 2014 after John declared to Jill “that he was not going to be sitting around in the house at Hawks Nest all day doing nothing”.

So began the love affair of turning what was then a bare block with a dam and jetty into what can only be described today as a slice of paradise.

The silence is deafening, broken only by birdsong.

The view is of mirror reflections from the 400-metre circumference dam, ringed by water lilies in bloom with a backdrop of trees hugging the creek line.

A small herd of eighteen black Angus cattle wander slowly across fertile green paddocks.

The ethos behind Jill and John’s project has been an investment for the future to show their children, grandchildren and the various people and groups who visit the property “to know about farm life” and modern sustainability.

The property is totally ‘off grid’.

Most of the infrastructure is made from recycled material and the LED lights, refrigeration, television, water for toilets and power for farm tools and equipment is all run from solar.

Jill calls herself ‘The Peasant Gardener’ as her entire garden has come from others’ cast offs, cuttings and pruning.

Flowers abound though and Garden Club members all left with bundles of treasures to plant in their own gardens back home.

A kitchen vegetable garden is tendered lovingly behind their living quarters and is conveniently placed next to the chicken run.

Initially a massive tree planting venture was undertaken with tube stock being purchased.

This method of planting proved to be unsuccessful and it was quickly replaced by replanting the “baby” indigenous trees that germinated naturally on the property.

‘Natural sustainability’ is the key on this block.

Weed management has been vital to the improvement of the paddocks with the need to eradicate fire weed, Parramatta grass and thistles.

Research into the history of the property showed that the property had been part of the Australian Agriculture Company (AACo).

Established in 1824, AACo is the oldest continuously operated company in Australia, becoming Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer.

It was discovered that Grannie’s Bush Camp was originally the bull paddock for the AACo.

John has also been an avid rain gauge keeper and since the age of sixteen years John has kept rainfall records wherever he has lived.

His records are used to fill in the gaps between the official sites set up by the Bureau of Meteorology.

“The Myall U3a Garden Club meets monthly,” said Annie Rutter, Myall U3A.

“A small working group is currently planning the establishment of a Community Garden in Tea Gardens.

“We will be organising a Community Forum for those wanting to be involved.”

For more information call Linda on 0412940310.