Volunteer Centre

I used to spend an afternoon a month in this place, and now it seems to be coming a home from home.

We are really very lucky to have our own facility, and I'm not sure how it came about.  The Volunteers' Centre was built in the 60's, as you can see.  They did want to modernise it, but we don't see the need.  If they have money to spend there are very many better ways to spend it in the Park.

I have been co-opted onto the Committee of the Friends of Belair National Park   My role is mainly to organise the monthly guest speaker, but "they" seem to think I have more to offer.  I hope they all realise I'm incredibly bossy.

The first speaker (see the extra photo of me and Eileen Harvey) I organised was today, and I was stoked.  It was wildly successful with probably the biggest attendance we have had for quite some time (in the middle of winter at any rate).  It's obvious there is a great interested in the history of the area and my speaker certainly catered to that.  She is a garden guide for the Wittunga Botanic Garden at Eden Hills, and she was talking about the history of the Ashby Family who originally owned the house and garden.

Sir Edwin Ashby was a great plant collector and philanthropist, and his daughter Alison Ashby was one of Australia's greatest botanic illustrators.  If you are interested, there is a really interesting (and very long article) on Sir Edwin for you to read.  Much too long for me to reprint I'm afraid.  And another on his famous daughter Alison.

P.S.   A couple of people have been confused by my constant references to the BNP..  I don't belong to the British National Party, but I am heavily involved in the Belair National Park.  There - that's cleared that up, but in the interests of clarity I shall henceforth refer to the Belair NP - not the BNP!.