ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0169 Third Canberra Garden Club Records

Scope and content notes

Call Number	HMSS 0169
Collection	Third Canberra Garden Club Records
Date Range	1970-2006
Quantity	0.36 (2 manuscript boxes)
Access Conditions	open
Copying Conditions	with attribution
Related Collections	HMSS 0198 Second Canberra Garden Club Records

Canberra Garden Clubs were established as informal morning groups for women to exchange ideas and plants, and to visit each other’s gardens. The first Club began in August 1962, and when the waiting list reached 100 the Second Garden Club was formed on 1 March 1966. By the same process, the Third Canberra Garden Club was officially established on 15 July 1970, and incorporated in 2000. It has a committee but no regular newsletter. It is not a social club, and does no fundraising.

In the early 1960s Canberra already had a strong Horticultural Society which met in the evenings, but many women could not attend. Also, there were few specialist nurseries and the climate was very different from that of the newcomers’ home cities, so there was a need to share and compare the results of local horticultural experimentation. Until 1976, membership of the Third Garden Club was restricted to women, although husbands were permitted to attend outings.

The aim of all the Garden Clubs is to educate amateur gardeners by discussion, lectures and demonstrations, usually during the winter months, and by visiting gardens locally and in other districts during summer.

As well as individual Club meetings, there were meetings of the Combined Garden Clubs of Canberra, and a range of joint activities and tours.

Members also participate in wider community activities; this has included providing floral displays for various events and supporting the Gardener of the Year Competition.

Box List

Box No.	Description	QTY	Date Range
1	Third Canberra Garden Club scrapbook (mainly newscuttings)	1 vol.	1970 – 1977
1	History of Canberra Garden Clubs ‘A History of the Third Canberra Garden Club’. A brief historical introduction followed by chronological listings of events, office bearers and tours.	1 file	1970 – 1996
1	History of Canberra Garden Clubs Brief history of the First, and notes on inauguration of the Second and Third Garden Clubs.	1 file	1962 – ca 1979
1	Combined garden Clubs of Canberra, Minutes of Meetings Some minutes may also be found in the Minutes of the Third Canberra Garden Club.	1 file	1979 - 1982
1	Conastitutions of the Third Canberra Garden Club until incorporation in 2000.	1 file	1970? - 2000
1	Third Canberra Garden Club Meeting - Minutes and Reports Minutes of committee and annual general meetings, presidents’ reports and financial reports, chronologically arranged: 1970-1978; 1978-1984; 1984-1985; 1985-1992; 1992-2000.	4 files, 1 vol.	1970 - 2000
1	Third Canberra Garden Club Meeting - Minutes and Reports Annual reports, including annual financial statements 1976/77 – 1979/80, 1984/85.	1 file	1976/77 – 1985/86
1	Correspondence	1 file	1991 – 1993
1	Program of Activities	1 file	1970 – 2000
1	Membership List	1 file	1990 – 1994
1	Publicity and Newsclippings	1 file	1976 – 1988
1	Gardner of the Year Competition	1 file	1977 – 1978
2	Minutes of Committee and AGM	1 file	2001-2006
2	Certificate of Appreciation concerning Old Parliament House Gardens Restoration Project	1 file	July 2005
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Album of group activities	1	1987-1992
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Visit to gardens in Belconnen	1 envelope	October1989
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to Cooma	1 envelope	March 1990
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to the Riverland	1 envelope	April 1991
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to Griffith, NSW	1 envelope	April 1991
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Day trip to Bowral	1 envelope	14 October 1992
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to Leura Garden Festival	1 envelope	10-12 October 1992
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to Nelson Bay	1 envelope	8-10 October (no year)
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to Ballarat Begonia Festival	1 envelope	March 1998
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to Mildura	1 envelope	October 1999
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Peter Forster’s Birthday	1 envelope	21 February 2001
2	Photographs of Society Trips and Outings Trip to Southern Highland	1 envelope	October 2001