Collingwood Community Garden

We will be congregating under the big oak tree to grieve the loss of our beloved gardens. The gardens may be lost for now but we still have our community.
Together we are strong. 💚🌿see you there!

“I grew up in country where the growing season was short, sweet and the rest of the time was cold and bitter with harsh winters. We learned to grow fast and to be productive while making the produce last throughout a cold hard winter season. Potatoes, beetroot, tomatoes, carrots and preserves were key to survival through the cold months. A lot of the migrants were Ukrainian and we learned how to connect with growing our food, sharing cultures with our neighbours and brining positivity to survive the harsh conditions. I remember watching as a child, the Ukrainian dance Hopak while enjoying perogies, sausages and borscht while we celebrated the collaboration of cultures and life. When I migrated to Australia I was so thankful and amazed to be introduced to a community like the Collingwood Community Gardens where these same values and traditions of sharing were the same as I had in my home country where we shared our love of community, promoting a beautiful culture while preserving cultures over growing produce and having love for the land.

Like the current climate we are seeing, our community land has been destroyed, a political invasion that’s fragmented a community of 70 plots, over 200 people and the knock on effect of the entire community around us. The gardens have not only fed the dinner table for decades of many cultures, it also ran programs that helped those in dire need - people with disabilities, intellectual disabilities, programs that assisted women in family violence, people dealing with drug abuse and at the end of the day the gardens were a haven, for those that needed it the most, to help them guide them to a beautiful path through, which been levelled away. Please remember our story, as they really are the untold stories of our community.” .costa

“The community gardens are continuing to grow and flourish and we are continuing to improve our systems at the farm to best support everyone in the plots.” - Conor Hickey (GM Collingwood Childrens Farm)
The community is a bit confused and challenged with the direct quote above when the community gardens have been bulldozed with little to no support from the Collingwood Children's Farm] . The heritage land of decades have been turned into a wedding events centre, dance party venue and a far cry from a “farm experience” and every communication the farm puts out to the community is not for the community but for a promotion of various revenue ventures rather than the care of the community and for those that truely respect the land for what it’s intent was. Again, the picture speaks for itself - land destroyed, hundreds of people at a loss and homes to the blue tongues lizards have been bulldozed over with no protection. Our hearts are breaking. Collingwood Children's Farm]

“Loving the team spirit, all!!!
We’re all in this together!!!” - Conor Hickey (General Manager Collingwood Childrens Farm). This is quoted from three years ago directly to the gardeners and today we all witnesses our beloved gardens being torn apart. The community have been locked out for months and all we heard was “No bulldozers”. Well, this picture speaks for itself and the community is heartbroken. We have taken care of this heritage land for decades and that’s all we’ve really set out to do. Stay strong community and we’ll continue growing.

Collingwood Community Garden updated their website address.

Thank you for signing the petition Protect the Collingwood Community Gardens, which we will be delivering to the Committee of Management of the Farm on Monday the 20th of September, at 6pm. We have over 3000 signatures in support of our demand to reinstate access to the plots and to ensure the Farm's managers work with the gardeners, who are so keen to get our spring cleaning and planting done! Zoom meeting ID 833 1043 8316 & pass 448338

Thank you Adam!

The Collingwood Community Gardeners are hosting a COVID-safe rally at 10am this Saturday, 26th of June.

We will be calling on the Children’s Farm to open the gates to the gardens!

Until gardeners are returned to their plots, this invaluable community resource remains under serious threat of being lost to the people of Yarra.

Invited to speak will be Adam Bandt (Federal MP for Melbourne), Richard Wynne (State MP for Richmond), Lily D'Ambrosio (State Minister for Environment), the Mayor of Yarra and Yarra councillors, as well as the Children’s Farm general manager Conor Hickey.

Plotters will be there to answer any questions from the public concerning the current circumstances of the lockout.

The rally will be held out the front of 16 St Heliers St, Abbotsford (between the Abbotsford Convent gates and the path to the Children’s Farm).

COVID-safe protocols will be in place, with marshals ensuring correct distancing measures (no single group greater than 50 people is permitted). We encourage you to wear masks.

Please come down to show your support!

Ribbons of support from the community with so much love for the Collingwood Community Gardens. ❤️🥰❤️

Sign the petition to save our gardens: https://www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/protect-the-collingwood-community-garden?fbclid=IwAR3qxkdpIEak9w13zg8ZFSSHSIcTQSFsrnyAEkb3xvMUJrQFZxUMUys7byU