Garden 2   58 Fosterton Road

 

OPEN SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30    10 – 4

&

SUNDAY OCT 1      10 – 2

 

Walking in the grounds of Nulla Nulla is a bit like stepping back in time – and no wonder, considering the history encapsulated in this beautiful place. A familiar sight to Dungog inhabitants, the Alison family homestead has stood proudly on a hill overlooking the town since the early 1900s. The current custodians, Dugald and Libby Alison, will be around on Ramble weekend and if you’re lucky enough to encounter Dugald, you may get a little rundown on the history of the place – and there’s nothing like having it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

 

According to Libby, the person who gave the garden its shape – the bones, you might say – was Mary Alison, Dugald’s mother. A Queenslander and a keen gardener, she ensured that the garden contained a number of reminders of her more tropical homeland:  the now-huge Ficus verens, at about 90 years old; the Queensland bottle trees, magnificent specimens, one of which is sadly now rotting out and called “prison tree” at about 100 years old.  Still, the power of nature – and perhaps Mary’s spirit – is seen in the shoots this venerable tree is sending out from its side….

 

Then there is the “faraway tree”, brought and planted by an Indigenous girl who worked at Nulla Nulla, and which was the Alison boys’ favourite playing spot. If she could see it now, she wouldn’t recognise in it the tiny seedling that she planted all those years ago.

 

The garden bestows upon the visitor a sense of calm: it is a shady, green place with benches that beckon and views to be had regardless of the aspect. Whilst the old trees are certainly its signature, there is also much to be found with a closer look at ground level: irises add a pop of colour in their season. Ferns spill out here and there; birds visit the many water stations and add their music to the general ambience of the place.

 

You must call in if you’re visiting Sculpture on the Farm. And, if you’re not, it’s only one minute along the road from the centre of town. See you there!

 

Please park in the paddock, according to the signs.

Entry $5