Speeches
Sunday, 05 May 2024
Adelaide Hills Garden Affair
Rod and I are pleased to join you today, in the stunning grounds of Stangate House, to officially open the inaugural Adelaide Hills Gardening Affair.
We are fortunate to live in a house with a beautiful garden, which we love to share with South Australians.
At this time of year we appreciate the last flush of roses, the final harvesting of summer vegetables and preparation of winter plantings, as well as the changing colour of the deciduous trees.
The Adelaide Hills are of course famous for these colours, and their beauty at this time of year is second to none, as is so clearly evident today.
In 2022, when I opened the Hills Small Acreage Fields Days at Echunga, Elizabeth Dobson proposed the idea of this garden affair, to which I was pleased to lend encouragement.
I am delighted to see the concept brought to fruition here today, with the support of members from six gardening clubs in the Adelaide Hills.
You have learned a great deal about event management through this experience, and I thank the Rotary Club of Stirling for their early encouragement and knowledge sharing which helped you to get started.
I congratulate the committee on creating an event to strengthen the hills’ gardening community, attracting younger as well as experienced gardeners, and perhaps encouraging some more members to sign up to local gardening clubs.
I thank you also for giving local businesses an opportunity to promote their products and services.
I trust that many visitors here today will ‘make a day of it’ and explore the various hills villages, enjoying coffee or lunch and taking in the surroundings, and I thank you for supporting the local economy in this way.
I thank also our guest speakers and sponsors, as well as the volunteers who have worked tirelessly to ensure the Stangate House gardens are looking their very best.
Should you wish to continue your garden explorations this autumn, you are all most welcome to visit Government House next Sunday 12 May, where the house and grounds will be open for you to explore from 10am til 2pm.
More information is available on the Government House and SA History Festival websites.
It is now my great pleasure to declare the Adelaide Hills Garden Affair officially open!