Newsletter June 2025
Our Budget Bonus!!
There was a magical surprise for us in the State budget just handed down—and Roger Jaensch, Jeremy Rockliff and Miriam Beswick were the three leprechauns who made it happen! See Ant’s report for details!
Chairperson’s Report
FUNDING TO SECURE OUR FUTURE
The Garden has been allocated $200,000 in the 2025/2026 Tasmanian budget and a further $200,000 has been included in budget estimates for the year 2026/2027. This is on top of the $200,000 granted to us in November last year.
This is the culmination of a number of efforts and approaches made by a number of parties to government, who have recognised the value of this wonderful asset of ours to Burnie and to the whole of the North-West region of Tasmania.
It is a testament to the founders of the garden and to the volunteers and staff who have built this barren piece of waste land into one of the finest gardens on the planet. Their hard work and the love they have poured into this garden has won us the Gold Award at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards and has now won us substantial support from Government. Special tribute must be paid to these fabulous people.
This funding gives us the stability we need to make plans for the long-term future of the garden.
I’d like to thank Roger Jaensch M.P for his efforts on our behalf over the last five years or so since we first approached him on this very subject. His support has never flagged. I’d also like to thank the Premier of Tasmania who is a North-West Tasmanian and who recognised the value of our garden, and Miriam Beswick M.P who has also advocated on our behalf. Without these three nothing would have happened.
In the same breath, I have to mention our board member, Ian Jones, President of Business North-West (The combine Chambers of Commerce for Burnie and Wynyard) who worked behind the scenes to push this over the finish line. His involvement is much appreciated.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday Winter Warmers - As part of Tourist Tasmania’s “OFF Season” promotion, we are running our Wednesday Winter Warmers lunches from 4th June to 27th August. These will comprise a delicious two course meal with a free glass of Tasmanian wine or beer. The event will be advertised closer to the date, with how to book, as bookings will be essential.
Spring Festival 18th October – I know it’s a long way away, but the festival will have a new ‘flavour’. This is a clue by the way, more details later!
MEMBERSHIPS
These will be due for renewal in July, however per the 2023 AGM, membership fees will increase for the 2025-26 year, but we’re also working on ways to increase the benefits and expedite the process of joining. We’ll send you a notification around mid-June on how to access the new memberships and benefits. Watch this space!
Ant Dry: Chairperson & Acting General Manager
Editor’s Note: Ant was just named as the City of Burnie’s Senior Citizen of the Year! Well done and well deserved Ant!
Around the Garden
A Stroll Through the Last Days of Autumn ♡
As we wave goodbye to autumn, the garden has been putting on its final show in the most charming way. Over the past month, the grounds have transformed into a warm, golden wonderland, with crunchy carpets of fallen leaves and crisp air filled with that earthy, comforting scent only autumn can bring.
The trees have worn their finest coats—fiery reds, deep burgundies, and glowing amber tones—lighting up every corner of the garden. Late-season blooms have made their quiet appearance too, with splashes of colour from salvias, camellias, vireyas and hydrangeas keeping the garden lively while everything else begins to wind down.
Thank you to everyone who visited or supported the garden this season—we hope you found your own moment of peace, beauty, or inspiration among the trees and blooms. As we tuck the garden in for winter, we look forward to sharing more seasonal changes with you soon.
Until then, enjoy the last of autumn’s glow!
Neet—Horticultural Manager
Nyssa sinensis: A Showstopper for Emu Valley
Hailing from the lush forests of central China and Vietnam, Nyssa sinensis, or “Chinese tupelo”, is a real gem at Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden. Discovered by Augustine Henry in 1888 and brought to Western gardens by Ernest Wilson around 1902, this deciduous beauty is a must-see for any plant lover.
Growing to a tidy 10–20 meters with a neat, conical shape, it adds height without overwhelming the space. Its glossy, oval leaves start bronze-purple, shift to deep green in summer, and then explode into a fiery mix of red, orange, and yellow in autumn—talk about a show! Spring brings clusters of tiny greenish-white flowers, followed by blue-black berries that birds can’t resist.
Our original plant came to us as a graft on Nyssa aquatica, the “water tupelo”, which is planted on the western side of lake Grebe. The N. aquatica unfortunately suckers, and needs constant attention.
At Emu Valley, above the Chinese pavilion in the north-eastern corner of the garden, Nyssa sinensis commands a favourable spot in Sichuan.
Maurie
