Every year during autumn this community organisation for local green thumbs holds a working bee in the garden of a Walcha public institution. Previous recipients have included the Walcha MPS and the Riverview Aged Care Hostel.

This year the gardeners descended on the Walcha Pioneer Cottage Museum to prepare the beds and plant Box Hedge borders in the Ella Goodridge Memorial Garden.

Ella Goodridge and her husband Max were members of the Pioneer Cottage Museum for many years and Ella, a keen gardener, designed and looked after the front garden for forty years. 

When Ella passed away, Max donated money to the Museum to be used toward the garden’s upkeep and asked that it be made into a memorial to Mrs Goodridge. 

“We invested the money, and anything we need for the garden comes out of that bequest,” said Walcha Historical Society president Mrs Kate Hoy.

“We started renovating the garden one year ago when we pulled out the old box hedges which were all dead,” said Mrs Hoy.

“I can’t put a date on when the work will be finished though as it is all done by volunteers. We are very grateful to the Walcha Garden Club for their help today.”

Walcha Council donated the blue metal for the paths between the beds and a large mound of mulch. However, the Historical Society is still looking for someone to donate some weed mat to lay down on the paths before the gravel paths are put in.

“We would also like some volunteers to help us spread the gravel,” she said.

“Our group is mainly made up of members in their senior years, and the gravel is quite heavy to move.”

The plantings for the centre of the garden beds are yet to be decided.

“We will have to plant something that is easy to care for,” said Mrs Hoy.

“There were roses in some of the beds previously along with perennials.”

Ella and Max’s daughter Bronwyn was also on hand to help with the work.

“It is wonderful to see the garden being revitalised because it’s my mum’s memorial,” said Bronwyn.

“It is very special.”

Julie Ireland thanked everyone for coming along to take part in the Club’s day.

“We really love doing the community day every May; it is just our little way of helping,” she said.

“This has been a great place to come, and we had a good meeting before the working bee began.”