Who we are
Werte! Welcome to the Westside Community Garden!
We garden, grow, gather, connect and learn.
We are gardeners from different backgrounds and of all ages. Our garden is inclusive and welcoming to all. We are located at 56 Milner Rd in Gillen, along the fence line between the Centralian Middle School and Jim McConville Oval, on Central Arrernte Country.
We hold regular working bees that are open to the public. Garden Membership is open to all people in the Central Desert region who share our vision of an inclusive, diverse and sustainable arid lands garden and want to actively contribute to it.
Working bees
Get active, meet a great bunch of people and pick up some arid zone gardening tips at one of our regular working bees. There’s plenty to keep everyone busy - from planting, mulching, turning hot compost, harvesting and pruning.
Working bees are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday & following Sunday of every month from 4PM – sunset.
Co-creating a community garden
The design of the Westside Garden is the result of a series of open workshops where local community members reflected on what it means to grow, harvest and gather on Central Arrente country.
Garden beds dedicated to native plants, bush foods and bush medicines were widely supported. Participants also wanted to see a community garden with majority communal garden beds, rather than individual plots. Communal garden beds are seen as a way of encouraging wider community participation and accessibility.
The Westside Community Garden was made possible through an MOU with Centralian Middle School and a Northern Territory Community Benefit Fund grant which we acknowledge with gratitude. We thank the Stronger Communities Program for a grant to install our wonderful irrigation system. We'd also like to thank the Sydney Giving Circle, without whom our Composting Toilet would not have been possible.
Our communal garden bed model
Westside is made up of communal garden beds, without fences or individual plots. The design was based on community consultation and the shared vision of early garden participants.
As the garden grows and changes with time and new members, we may consider building individual plots in the future. For now, communal beds help to support the cultivation of a participatory garden culture.
Our vision
The creation of a culturally safe and sustainable arid lands garden that nurtures the development of a local food secure community
Our values
We are an inclusive, diverse, and participatory community guided by permaculture ethics and principles.
Our Purpose
- To be a growing community that listens to the land
- To be inclusive, ensuring access for all; physically, emotionally, and financially
- To grow organic, nutritious, and culturally diverse foods
- To be a knowledge sharing community that provides a supportive learning environment
- To cultivate a safe place for community to gather and connect
- A place to simply be