Community Spirit

This beautiful harbourside community garden is a hit withthe locals

- Mandy Lee

There is no doubt that in Sydney, space is a commodity, so it can be rather frustrating to see vacant or misused land. Of course, with the increasing population and property prices, there is also an increase in apartment living. This is why a growing number of communities around Sydney are trying to make the most of the space they have available.

Located on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, the Kurraba Point Community Garden was built in a neglected sloping area adjacent to the reserve at Kurraba Point that overlooks beautiful Sydney Harbour. There are lots of people in the area who live in unit blocks and don’t have their own space to garden, and there are others who simply want to meet people in the local area. Therefore, the design brief was to create a functional yet beautiful area that makes the most of the harbour setting so local residents could meet and test out their green thumbs by growing a range of edible plants and ornamental species. They also wanted to build pathways to make the space more easily accessible.

The garden is a mass of contrasting colours described as a “Mediterranean cottage garden” look. From bougainvillea climbing over the back wall to a vibrant lavender infinity knot to dwarf citrus trees growing in terracotta pots, it’s like a little slice of Spain in Sydney! The garden has two seating areas for locals to relax and enjoy the surrounds, and six raised beds to grow and harvest vegetables and herbs. It is a great success in the local community, with volunteers meeting for a community working bee once a month and individual volunteers performing garden maintenance. All equipment and plants are provided by North Sydney Council. Members of the public regularly visit the garden and say how wonderful it is — a feast for the senses with amazing colours, smells, tastes and textures.