Description The Ballarat Horticultural Society is the oldest continuous horticultural society in Australia. This book not only looks at its establishment, but questions why its members, men and women, imported seeds and cultivated flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees. It outlines the challenges faced in a new land and how these challenges were overcome. The Ballarat Horticultural Society is the oldest continuous horticultural society in Australia. This book not only looks at its establishment, but questions why its members, men and women, imported seeds and cultivated flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees. It outlines the challenges faced in a new land and how these challenges were overcome. Generously illustrated with colour images, this book traces the incredible story of Ballarat pioneers who cared about the environment and beautified the city. They nurtured and cajoled the urban environment shaping it into a vision splendid. Fortunately some of the vestiges of their toils still remain and Ballarat the Garden City can be proud of their legacy carried forward by the present members. Over 200 pp, full colour, appendices – including timeline, comprehensive bibliography,index, Michael Taffe brings to this work his deeply personal passion of horticulture and Ballarat. Michael lives in a heritage listed family home Hymettus at Ballarat in Victoria with his wife Marie. Hymettus was Champion Garden in the City of Ballarat 1915–1918 and belonged to his grandfather. The property has been featured in publications in Australia and Britain as well as on television.
