Queensland Council of Garden Clubs 2025 Christmas Luncheon and Biennial Awards Presentation

(Speech delivered by Professor Graeme Nimmo RFD)

President, Queensland Council of Garden Clubs, Mr Phil Ada; Secretary, Ms Anne Baster; Treasurer, Ms Anne Munro; Committee members and Life Members; Biennial Awards Panel members; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen. 

I begin by also acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to any First Nations people here today. 

As Patron of the Queensland Council of Garden Clubs, it is wonderful to be able to join you at Mt Coot-tha today for your Biennial Awards presentation, and to share in this convivial occasion. 

I am honoured to be among such a dedicated community of gardeners and horticultural enthusiasts. 

The Biennial Awards being presented today provide an opportunity for us to appreciate some of the remarkable contributions made by gardening clubs and individual members across Queensland during the past two years. 

By showcasing their valuable contributions more widely, certain clubs have flourished and their efforts have finally borne fruit. 

I thank the clubs and their members for nominating candidates, and acknowledge the Selection Panel whose onerous task it was to prune the list of applicants and select the winners. I offer my warm congratulations to today’s award recipients. 

I want to also take this opportunity to acknowledge the Queensland Council of Garden Clubs for its leadership and vision.   

For almost six decades you have championed the value of gardening in our communities, sown the seeds of enjoyment and friendship, and propagated vast amounts of horticultural knowledge. Thank you for all you have done to foster our love of gardening, which as we know is more than just planting and fertilising. It is an act of hope and anticipation that will make an ongoing contribution to Queensland’s living urban and regional environments.  

The efforts of our State's many green thumbs add so much to the liveability and beauty of our cities and regions.  

I see this almost daily on my walks through the suburbs around Government House, where the gardens and streetscapes reflect real care and pride. These walks inspired me to write about Brisbane’s Inner West—a collection of reflections that is available online for those interested. 

Our green spaces are a source of pride, and we’re committed to nurturing them at every level. In that spirit, April this year marked a special milestone when my wife, the Governor, and I officially opened new bushland tracks at the Fernberg Estate. Through our guided tours program, more members of the public can now explore the many hectares of remnant bushland surrounding Government House and experience its rich biodiversity—something we continue to conserve and nurture under our Bushland Management Plan. Perhaps we’ll see more of you enjoying these tracks next year. 

In the meantime, thank you again for the invitation to join you for today’s luncheon and for the opportunity, as your Patron, to present the Council’s four biennial awards. I once again congratulate our award recipients. 

May your gardens continue to thrive and your friendships continue to blossom. Thank you.