Olive Pink Botanic Garden Archives - Page 2 of 2

Looking for Olive. Member’s Talk at SWW on Olive Muriel Pink by Colleen Keating

colleen General, Olive Pink Botanic Garden September 4, 2021September 4, 2021Julie Janson, Members Talk, NSW Society of Womens Writers, olive Pink

THE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS NSW Inc.

LITERARY EVENT

WEDNESDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2021

I .00 PM–2.15 PM

ZOOM FOR TWO WONDERFUL SPEAKERS

MEMEBER SPEAKER – COLLEEN KEATING

Looking for Olive – the radical and idealistic life of Olive Muriel Pink

by Colleen Keating

Colleen, author of five poetry books with Ginninderra Press and 5 poetry chap books with Picaro Poets will talk about the inspiration, development and publication of her latest book, A Poetic Journey with an Australian women Olive Muriel Pink . Colleen first became curious after visiting the Olive Pink Botanical Garden in Alice Springs on a holiday and unable to find local information about Olive. Back home she became immersed in the passions and struggles of Olive Pink’s story, a pioneer Australian woman of the first half of the 20th century.(1884-1975). Here was a justice warrior, an advocate for the rights of the Indigenous people, a trained anthropologist, artist, gardener, botanist and curator. And one whose song needs to be sang.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER – JULIE JANSON

A woman writer’s journey – the restorative justice of writing Australian Indigenous themes

by Julie Janson

Keynote speaker – Julie Janson: A woman writer’s journey – the restorative justice of writing Australian Indigenous themes

Julie is a Burruberongal woman of Darug nation, Hawkesbury River NSW. She grew up with an Aboriginal father and mother of English descent in Boronia Park, Sydney.
She is a teacher, artist, novelist, playwright and poet, and a recipient of the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Poetry Prize and the Judith Wright Poetry Prize.
Julie’s published novels are The Crocodile Hotel (Cyclops Press 2015), The Light Horse Ghost (Nibago 2018) and Benevolence (Magabala 2020). This latest novel will be published by Harper Collins in USA and UK 2021.
In a career as a playwright, Julie’s plays have been produced in Australia, Indonesia and USA:
* Two plays-Black Mary and Gunjies (Aboriginal Studies Press 1996)
* Gunjies, nominated for an AWGIE
* The Crocodile Hotel, nominated for Patrick White Award and Griffin Award
* Black Mary produced by Company B Belvoir St Theatre 1997
* The Eyes of Marege, Sydney Opera House Studio, Adelaide Festival Centre 2007 and Makassar, Sulawesi
Julie was fortunate to present at the Adelaide Writers Festival 2021, Bendigo Writers Festival 2021 and Byron Bay Writers Festival.
She has also experienced Asialink Literature Residencies Indonesia 2000, 2003; Varuna residency; Tyrone Guthrie Writing Residency, Ireland 2006; Australia Council BR Whiting Residency Rome 2013; Listowel Ireland Writers Festival and Belfast Book Week 2016.

To book and pay:
$10 members, $15 non-members

Book via TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/BTSFK

or by direct debit:

The Society of Women Writers NSW Inc
BSB: 062 018
Account: 00950433
Code: VM (for Keynote Speaker) or VMW (for Workshop)

Email Amanda Mark – Email Amanda –
with your name, receipt number and date of event

Olive Muriel Pink: her radical & idealistic Life by Colleen Keating

colleen Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Poetry August 26, 2021A Poetic Journey, alice springs, Ginninderra Press, Olive Muriel Pink:her radical & idealistic life, Pip Griffin, Professor Lyndall Ryan, verse novel

PRESS RELEASE: Olive Muriel Pink: her radical and idealistic life

Some good news. My new book has arrived. Olive Muriel Pink: her radical & Idealistic life. An Australian women’s story that after you have read it you will want your friends to do the same. Thank you to Ginninderra Press & the many that have supported me on this long but wonderful journey.

” It is a triumph for reconciliation and will surely enter the
the annals of Australian literature.’
– Emeritus Professor Lyndall Ryan AM FAHA

Colleen Keating brings Olive Muriel Pink’s significant, neglected history
to life with distinctive, beautiful imagery. – Pip Griffin, poet.

Available to buy www.ginninderrapress.com.au

Olive Pink Botanic Garden: A research visit.

colleen General, Olive Pink Botanic Garden March 28, 2020March 28, 2020alice springs, Annie Meyers Hill, Barry Bucholtz, birds, Fran Kilgariff, Ian Coleman, John Blakeman, Olive Pink Botanic garden, Peter Latz, Todd River

Our inland journey to do some research on the Australian pioneer Olive Pink was done in early March before the Pandemic had been declared. We were aware of the virus but flying inland seemed very innocent. By the end of the week flying back to Sydney, it was not innocent – we felt on tender hooks to get home. How things can change in one week.

However in that week of pandemic-innocence we had very rewarding visit with Brekky at the Bean Cafe in the garden with the wallabies and birds and then each day the walks. Later in the day visiting other channels of research. We stayed in the Mecure Motel by the Todd River and behind the Gardens

Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs

The Garden

Today we treasure a globally unique arid zone botanic garden and continues to work towards Miss Pinks vision:

. . .forty-nine acres of ground on which to preserve and grow native trees, shrubs and flowers – as a ‘soul-feeding antidote to the restless rush and materialism of what ‘modern living’ entails for so many in this isolated town. from Fran Kilgariff

Nestled in the valley of Annie Meyers Hill and bordered by the Todd River is where you will find the Olive Pink Botanic Garden. Its close proximity to the CBD of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, allows visitors and locals alike convenient access to the 16 hectare Garden including the 6 hectares of arid zone plantings in the valley floor and the native vegetation of the encircling hills.

Founded in 1956 by Miss Olive Muriel Pink (1884-1975), the Garden was originally gazetted as the Australian Arid Regions Native Flora Reserve with Miss Pink as the Honorary Curator. Prior to this Miss Pink had studied the anthropology of both the Arrernte and Walpiri people and was a great agitator and advocatefor Aboriginal rights, which lead to her insisting that Aboriginal gardeners receive employment conditions under the award. Jampitjimpa Yannarilyi (Johnny) was one of the Aboriginal gardeners whom Miss Pink held in high esteem and was employed in the Garden from 1960 for a period of 12 years.,

From the time of Miss Pink’s death in 1975 until 1985, like minded people rallied to keep Olive’s Mission alive. Local gardeners, water-conservationist John Blakeman, orthonologist Barry Bucholtz and many towns folk with many developments to preserve the garden as viable. The garden and the Bean Cafe and were opened to the public in 1985as the Olive Pink Flora Reserve, and in 1996 it was renamed to more accurately reflect its purpose as the Olive Pink Botanic Garden. A voluntary seven person Board of Trustees manages the Garden. They draw on experience and expertise in commerce, science, law and tourism and are responsible to the NT Minister for Local Government. On my recent visit I met the present curator Ian Coleman. I had an immediate rapport with Ian as he spoke of his understanding of Olive Pink’s vision and understanding for the park. He has the sensibility of a spirituality and a philosophy of the story of the land on which the garden stands.

Some aspiring and educational walks wander through the park.
1. An historical walk called the Olive Pink Walk,
2. the Mulga Woodland walk,
3 the Mallee Walk
4 The Arrernte Trail and the marvellous challenging for us (no longer spritely) called 5. the Annie Meyers Hill walk .

There are Bird groves specialising in bird feeding trees, many seats to sit and enjoy the peace and educational nodes with very informative coloured and modern stories. Education is a key element of the Garden’s ethos with information available about the evolution of Australia’s arid zone flora, the traditional use of plants by Aborigines and local history in the graphic displays housed in in shelter nodes along the tracks.

Another valuable treasure is Peter Latz a renowned Central Australian botanist and garden volanteer. as he says at the end of an article he wrote,

Decades of dedicated work by Olive Pink, Jampiijinpa (Johnny) and other staff as well as countless volunteers has gone into producing this globally unique treasure -trove of bio-diversity and store of potential foods and medicinal cures

The Botanical Garden Newsletter for botanical gardens of Australia and New Zealand. No. 3 July 2002

The Blakeman Shelter

Livistona palms at the Garden waterhole

The Blakeman Shelter

Livistona palms at the Garden waterhole

The Garden

Nestled in the valley of Annie Meyers Hill and bordered by the Todd River is where you will find the Olive Pink Botanic Garden. Its close proximity to the CBD of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, allows visitors and locals alike convenient access to the 16 hectare Garden including the 6 hectares of arid zone plantings in the valley floor and the native vegetation of the encircling hills.

Founded in 1956 by Miss Olive Muriel Pink (1884-1975), the Garden was originally gazetted as the Australian Arid Regions Native Flora Reserve with Miss Pink as the Honorary Curator.