After Marg Allan's wonderful talk to us in May about her job managing the gardens at the old Abbotsford Convent we decided to go and see the results of all her hard work.
September was the perfect time for a visit as all the trees were just putting on their new grown and the garden was alive with colour.
We were first treated to a very informative tour of the buildings. The convent itself was started by the Sisters of Mercy in 1863, and was at one time the largest charitable institution in the southern hemisphere. Over the years it has been home to a finishing school for girls, a primary school, an industrial school for orphaned and abandoned children, and a safe haven for women at risk. In the 1970's the sisters left the convent and it was sold to the government whereby it became a campus for La Trobe University and the School of Early Childhood Development. It has since been purchased by the State Government and gifted to the public, the custodian being the Abbotsford Convent Foundation. An 18 month program of restoration followed, funded by philanthropists, foundations and government bodies. It now houses a large collection of artists, writers and other creative souls.
We met with Marg after morning tea and she gave us a wonderful tour of the gardens she had spoken to us about. It was lovely to be able to see it to put it all into perspective.
