Opening of Larni Garingilang Precinct 

On October 8th we saw a Grand opening of a long awaited new facility, the Larni Garingilang. This facility will host a cafe, reception rooms and become a meeting point for visitors to our gardens, in particular the Gardens for the Future. 

Many elected officials attended and spoke at the opening: Brian Westley, Acting CEO, City of Greater Bendigo;  Cr. Andrea Metcalfe, Mayor; Lisa Chesters, Federal Member for Bendigo; The Honorable Jacinta Allan, Deputy Premier of Victoria and Member for Bendigo East. 

A particularly moving aspect of the opening was the Welcome to Country delivered by Rodney Carter and the smoking ceremony conducted by Trent Nelson accompanied by Jason Kerr on didgeridoo. 

This day saw the culmination of all the collaborative work of everyone involved in the design and execution of the gardens and landscape surrounding the building. Still in its early stages of growth with much more work to continue, it is clear how visionary this project is and how iconic it will become. Celebrating its opening and enjoying what has been achieved was important to all who attended.  For those who visit, take particular note of the signage which has been erected teaching about plant details and uses and cultural significance.  Something for all to appreciate.