STEM in the garden
17 February 2023
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A New Farm State School P&C initiative.
The Beeston Street project is transforming a disused hillside and side entrance to New Farm State School into a six-tiered Indigenous food garden. This community garden and outdoor classroom is an ecology building exercise that supports wildlife, promotes water conservation and celebrates Indigenous knowledges and culture. It augments the school’s major upgrade, providing more green space for our inner-city school and local community.
The project is led by the P&C and supported by the New Farm State School. Contractors Sun and Soil Organic Gardening have created the smart, environmental design – scroll down to see the visual layers and details. Indigenous consultation is currently underway for ways to name and engage with the garden. Honeywill Consulting are project managing, in concert with the wider school upgrades and masterplan.
The P&C has raised $21,500 towards this initiative, primarily through the federal government’s Communities Environment Program, and a Woolworths Junior Landcare grant. New Farm State School has also contributed project management fees. We are now asking donations from the community for the remaining $4,000 to complete the project.
Construction has begun in August 2021. As the garden develops, there will be a range of opportunities for our school and local community to engage. Email us if you would like to participate in activities and stay informed! gardening@nfsspandc.com.au
The left-hand side of the steps will be shaped into six terraced swales. These provide pathways and dug-in water channels to capture stormwater runoff that will water plants and support soil ecology.
The banks will feature an assortment of edible shrubs, like Midyim Berry and Blue Tongue bushes, and trees such as Lemon-scented Myrtle, Macadamia Nut or Davidsons Plum. Native grasses like Blue Flax-lily will help stabilise the banks.
You’ll see birds, butterflies, lizards and other local fauna moving in. Accommodation includes two native bee hives, a ladybird house, cosy boxes for possums, a roosting hub for microbats, and small ponds to showcase native fish and frogs (and stop mosquitos breeding).
Informative signs peppered throughout will identify plants and the ways Indigenous people used them for food, fibre or medicine. A wheelchair accessible pathway will also sit at the lower section of the hill.
This garden is for our community to grow and enjoy. In building this ecosystem, we are supporting a love of learning about nature, culture and food. We kindly ask you to support it too by donating now!
We’d love our community to contribute, whether through purchasing a range of trees and shrubs or animal shelters, ponds and fish. Click below to make a contribution.
The New Farm Garden Club is a sub-committee of the New Farm State School P&C and is operated by volunteer parents.
If you require any further information in relation to Beeston Street Community Garden or any other New Farm State School garden project, please contact us via email gardening@nfsspandc.com.au.
Promotor: Dr Carmel McGrath authorises NFSS P&C Association. ABN 58 191 495 021 registered charity under the Collections Act 1966
– New Farm State School P&C is our community in action –
sharing our time, talents and passion for our school and its students
Cnr James & Heal Street
New Farm QLD