Life membership

LIFETIME HONOUR

FOR GROWING LEGENDS

FOUNDATION & FRIENDS RECENTLY BESTOWED LIFE MEMBERSHIP ON TWO OF ITS LONGEST-SERVING AND MOST RESPECTED VOLUNTEERS, CAROL GRIESSER AND MARGARET HANKS – BOTH OF WHOM HAVE ALSO SHARED THEIR KNOWLEDGE OVER THE YEARS AS CONTRIBUTORS TO THE GARDENS MAGAZINE.

Keen to enjoy a country lifestyle, Carol Griesser moved her young family from the Sydney suburb of Kensington to Wedderburn, on the bank of the Georges River, in 1988 – the year the nearby Australian Botanic Garden officially opened. An enthusiastic gardener, she and her husband Frank launched a successful business as hydroponic producers, working with green grocers across the region.

Carol joined Friends of the Gardens in 1999 and the following year became a regular volunteer after signing up to the newly established Growing Friends operation at the Australian Botanic Garden. Two years later she was appointed volunteer coordinator and still leads the group today.

In 2019, her contribution to Growing Friends received wider recognition when she was named Senior Volunteer of the Year for the Macarthur region. She was nominated for the award by the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust’s Director Horticulture, John Siemon, and the Australian Botanic Gardens’ Horticultural Development Supervisor, Daniella Pasqualini.

“The most enjoyable thing about being a volunteer has been working and becoming life friends with so many people who love plants,” says Carol. “Not just the other volunteers, but also the horticulture staff, for whom the Garden is more than just a job. People like John [Siemon], who I first knew as a young lab technician and is now a very important person.

“The Garden has also given a lot back to me. Last September I lost my husband, and the friendships at Mount Annan enabled me to go back to work a bit earlier than expected, which helped enormously to occupy my time because I’m on my own now.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of her involvement with the Garden, says Carol, was that it provided the opportunity to pass on her love of plants to her granddaughter, who became a volunteer at PlantBank when she finished high school.

“Now she is doing a PhD with [Principal Research Scientist and manager of the Australian PlantBank at the Australian Botanic Garden] Dr Cathy Offord. I am very proud because I encouraged her to look into the life of plants. It’s wonderful to pass on that passion.”

Margaret Hanks graduated from the Ryde School of Horticulture in the early 1980s, then embarked on a horticultural career that saw her work for commercial nurseries, the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, and eventually the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. As a member of the Gardens’

‘The Australian Botanic Garden has also given a lot back to me’

Plant Records section, she helped undertake surveys of the Gardens’ trees, providing her with an extensive knowledge of the Living Collection.

In 1983 Margaret joined Friends of the Gardens and became a volunteer in 1998 when she agreed to lead the Tuesday Growing Friends team at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, a role she still occupies.

“Being a part of Growing Friends has enabled me to learn more about plants, but what I’ve really enjoyed is the satisfaction that comes from raising money to keep the Gardens prospering because I’ve loved them since I was a small child,” she says.

“As well as enjoying the company of fellow volunteers, I’ve also always liked the interaction with the public. I like the propagating, but it’s very rewarding when you sell plants and see such happy customers. I particularly enjoyed taking our plants to other events, such as the Collectors’ Plant Fair. Thanks to the huge range of plants we offered from across the Gardens, we made a lot of money.”

During their time with Foundation & Friends, both women have also generously shared their knowledge and expertise with readers of The Gardens magazine. Carol became a contributor in 2004, writing a column on Growing Friends for the next 10 years, while Margaret has written the much-loved Garden Focus and Significant Tree sections since 2004. David Carroll