Community garden unveiled at Randwick Campus

A new community garden for the Randwick Hospitals Campus came to life this month with staff, patients and volunteers working together to establish a relaxing green space for people to connect and garden together.

Mr Tobi Wilson, General Manager, Prince of Wales Hospital, said the new space will also represent an ongoing connection to country with the garden taking on a ‘bush medicine’ theme. The new garden, located at the High Street entrance to the Prince of Wales Hospital, is part of the Randwick Campus Redevelopment project’s commitment to promoting a green and healthy community.

“We have partnered with the La Perouse Aboriginal community’s Gujaga and Dharawal Language Program to ensure the garden will take on a distinctly ‘bush medicine’ theme in recognition of their long history connected to our hospital campus and local community,” Mr Wilson said.

The community garden will be maintained by Prince of Wales Hospital volunteers, however anyone who is interested is welcome to help look after the garden, with a monthly garden working bee planned for the first Wednesday of every month at 9am.

“What’s also fantastic about this garden is that it is accessible to everyone with the garden beds being raised. We’ve already had a keen amount of interest shown from patients to be involved in helping to look after the garden,” Mr Wilson said.

“It will also make a huge difference to the aesthetics of the High Street entrance.”
 
All produce grown in the garden will be donated to the Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service programs.
 
The garden features four garden beds, a paved area to ensure disability access, tools’ storage and new outdoor seating. 

The community garden project has been delivered in partnership with the Randwick Campus Redevelopment, Lendlease, PwC, Indigi Bin, Regal Innovations and ASPECT Studios. Other community contributors include; La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and its members, Gujaga, the Dharawal Language Program, Randwick City Council, Coogee Community Garden, Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service and Prince of Wales Hospital staff and volunteers.