Case Studies
Hilton Harvest Community Garden
Design Feature
Type of project
Local Government Initiative
State
Western Australia
Location
Urban
Hilton Harvest Community Garden is a grassroots initiative that was first delivered in 2009 by members of the Hilton community. The initiation of this project was driven by a local desire to strengthen community resilience in the context of climate change and peak oil. In collaboration with the City of Fremantle and the Department of Education, the first gardens were established in 2010, located on the Hilton Primary School oval.
Community building and education, anchored in sustainability
The garden is directed by several objectives that reflect its holistic values, they include:
- Nurture people's interest in gardening by demonstrating organic gardening practices
- Provide a public green space that encourages social interaction in the community to strengthen social inclusion
- Bring people together through participatory activities in the garden to share information on everyday sustainable living.
In collaboration with several supporting organisations, HHCG has been able to deliver a variety of projects and programs that aim to improve the health, environment and social fabric of the wider community, with additional economic benefits. The mixed-use, public open space is home to communal and rented garden beds, a community orchard, a bush tucker garden, a ‘chook ship’, a popular asparagus garden and a seedling nursery. The HHCG hosts regular programs and events that suit variety of audiences. Programs include bi-monthly busy bees, the Bud’s ’n’ Blooms Inter-generational Gardening Group, a Chook Club, Annual Twilight fairs and special events such as introductory gardening workshops and expert gardener visits.
Key programs and projects are summarised below:
Key programs and projects are summarised below:
Buds ’n’ Blooms
Funded by Community Grants from the City of Fremantle, Buds 'n' Blooms is a free inter-generational gardening group for people of all ages. The program offers an outdoor environment where community members can socially interact. Activities include, gardening, gentle exercise, art and music.
Community Orchard
The Hilton Harvest orchard was established in June 2011 through community consultation and collaboration. The Orchard reflect the needs of the community, which included trees that produce high quantities of produce, are easy to maintain, and are water-wise. The Orchard additionally serves as a scratching ground for the Hilton Harvest Chickens.
Bush Tucker Garden
In 2012 Hilton Harvest established a Bush Tucker Garden, as part of their annual NAIDOC celebrations. Continuing today, the garden includes a variety of nutritious and medicinal native plants, including edible roots, leaves, flowers, seeds and fruits. This Garden reflects cultural acknowledgement and awareness and is used as an education tool for the community.
Funded by Community Grants from the City of Fremantle, Buds 'n' Blooms is a free inter-generational gardening group for people of all ages. The program offers an outdoor environment where community members can socially interact. Activities include, gardening, gentle exercise, art and music.
Community Orchard
The Hilton Harvest orchard was established in June 2011 through community consultation and collaboration. The Orchard reflect the needs of the community, which included trees that produce high quantities of produce, are easy to maintain, and are water-wise. The Orchard additionally serves as a scratching ground for the Hilton Harvest Chickens.
Bush Tucker Garden
In 2012 Hilton Harvest established a Bush Tucker Garden, as part of their annual NAIDOC celebrations. Continuing today, the garden includes a variety of nutritious and medicinal native plants, including edible roots, leaves, flowers, seeds and fruits. This Garden reflects cultural acknowledgement and awareness and is used as an education tool for the community.
Community nursery
In March 2016, HHCG was awarded a grant of close to $10,000 from the Department of Local Government and Communities, which was used to fund a propagation nursery. Adding social, economic, environmental, health and use value to the HHCG, the nursery is used to grow seedlings and provide educational and employment opportunities via nursery and horticulture industry training. The nursery also supports sustainable and healthy practices, enabling community members to grow their own food from seed. The facility is open to the public, further strengthening social capital and community cohesion.
In March 2016, HHCG was awarded a grant of close to $10,000 from the Department of Local Government and Communities, which was used to fund a propagation nursery. Adding social, economic, environmental, health and use value to the HHCG, the nursery is used to grow seedlings and provide educational and employment opportunities via nursery and horticulture industry training. The nursery also supports sustainable and healthy practices, enabling community members to grow their own food from seed. The facility is open to the public, further strengthening social capital and community cohesion.
Project team
- Volunteer Committee members
- City of Fremantle
- Department of Education
- Communicare
- Disability Services Commission
Project Cost
Ongoing
Health Value
HHCG contributes to the health of the community by:
- Facilitating gardening-oriented physical activity
- Offering nutritional knowledge of native and other healthy foods, and opportunities to consume them
- Social interaction via the inclusive selection of activities and programs regularly offered to the community, which provide a support network to residents.
Economic value
Through the production of freely accessible, locally grown food, HHCG contributes economic value to the Hilton community. The propagation nursery operates as a social enterprise business model, providing economic value through commercial income via seedling sales.
Environmental Value
- Founded on principles of sustainability, Hilton harvest reflects environmental value to the community. Firstly, the garden incorporates organic gardening principles, minimising the use synthetic chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.
- The garden practices organic waste management (composting) and the Community Orchard was established with priority placed on water-wise initiatives.
- The Bush Tucker garden is a further example of sustainable practices. This section of the garden is an act of conservation through preservation of native plants that provide shelter for local animals.
Social value
- As a community-driven project, HHCG offers strong social value. The garden facilitates social interaction, community collaboration and participation, which strengthen community ties and social capital in the area.
- The HHCG commitment to creation of an inclusive environment is evident in its range of programs and projects that support people of all ages, abilities, social and ethnic backgrounds.
- The nursery has broadened the social facilities offered at the garden, further strengthening community cohesion for Hilton and other Perth residents.
Use value
- Hilton Harvest acts as a community hub and meeting place, and provides value in its variety of uses.
- The facility hosts a number of educational and participatory programs and activities, as well as regular member and community events.
- The use value is additionally reflected in the voice that the garden provides for community members to raise awareness of local and relevant issues.
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