According to Student Support Coordinator Ian Kellet, the area bordered by G Block, the Language Centre and the back of the Library used to be a dusty, dirty corner of the school grounds.
“It was a bit of a wasteland out there,” he said. “And given that so many of the students who access support used the area, we thought it had great potential to be something more.”
Now, thanks to the generosity of local businesses ASQ Garden and Landscape, and Haymes Paint Bendigo, the area has been transformed and is on its way to becoming a sensory garden with a range of plants that stimulate the senses and provide a place of refuge.
“We’re so grateful to ASQ for generously donating so many of the materials,” Ian said. “Apart from the garden beds themselves and the plants, everything else was donated… the soil, mulch, paving stones and more.”
The exterior paint and the interior paint for the concrete beds were donated by Haymes Paints Bendigo with the colours chosen in consultation with the college’s Koori Engagement Support Officers to be sympathetic with the local environment.
“The garden beds are at a height convenient for students in wheelchairs and those who are vision impaired. The plants provide scent, hard and soft textures, and add colour to this space,” Ian said. “Once it’s established and flourishing we hope it will be a really popular area for everyone in the college community—a quiet place in the centre of the school.”
