Author Interview with Sophie Cunningham: Wonder - 175 Years of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Wednesday 8 September 2021


Wonder: 175 Years of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria by Sophie Cunningham and Peter Wilmoth
Released: 29 September 2021
Published by: Hardie Grant Books
Genre: Non-fiction, Gardening
Pages: 264
They sit in the physical and emotional heart of our city, and have done so for 175 years. Most of us have spent time there, and they mean different things to each of us. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne have been a place of calm, a site for reflection, creative inspiration, discovery, romance and even refuge. Anyone who has visited has a story. Now a range of these stories from Victorians from many fields is gathered in the lavish publication Wonder: 175 Years of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Told through conversations with writers Sophie Cunningham and Peter Wilmoth, there are stories of Nick Cave conceiving the first lines of a novel there, of actor and writer Michael Veitch being taught the classics on its lawns, of a marriage that took place just days before COVID-19 began its grim sweep across the world, closing sites such as the Gardens for the first time in history. Boonwurrung Elder Aunty Carolyn Briggs tells stories of Country that reach back through millennia, while Landscape Architect Andrew Laidlaw shares the inspiration for some of the Gardens’ more recent landscapes. Horticulturalist Gemma Cotterell tells us about her work on the Australian Forest Walk; architect Kerstin Thompson reminds us of the secrets the Gardens hold and the way those secrets transform landscape into dreamscape; and botanist Neville Walsh shares his excitement on the discovery of a new species of wattle.

The important matters of plant extinction and climate change (including water usage) are also addressed, reminding the reader of the critical role played by our public gardens in securing the future of the planet through its science, irreplaceable collections and conservation action.

With superb photography by Leigh Henningham, the book is about the people’s gardens, and these stories will resonate with readers who cherish their own experiences there.

Some 'coffee-table' books will sit on the mantelpiece or be discarded among the ornaments, scented candles and long-lost scented candles. Others, like Wonder draw you into their pages with personal stories that celebrate the beauty of nature and importance of green spaces in our everyday lives. This is a collection which specifically focuses on the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, but also reaches further in exploring what it means to look up at the trees, breathe in the fresh air and get lost among the paths of shrubs and flowerbeds to find your own hidden oasis. Read on below for my interview with one of the authors, Sophie Cunningham!

Author Interview Sophie Cunningham

One of the really interesting elements of this book is told as exploring "secrets the Gardens hold and the way those secrets transform landscape into dreamscape". What does this mean to you?

I love the way that public spaces can have private and personal meanings. As a child I always loved playing in gardens that I imagined to be jungles, and places of adventure. One of my favourite books was 'The Secret Garden'. But the point is, I suppose, that most people feel like that. It was lovely to be able to talk to people about their emotional responses to the RBGV.


What are some of your own favourite memories and experiences in the gardens?

I really love walking around the bottom of the gardens, where you can find traces of the Yarra's original path, and walk around the lakes that were once part of the wetlands in the area. There are some very special river red gum down there as well. The lion head tree is probably my favourite in the gardens. I also love the Oaks that have been planted throughout Melbourne's Botanic Gardens. Sitting under them is good for the soul.


How did the writing process for this book differ from some of your other works?

The book was interview led - it gives voice to other people's voices and experiences. I did write a book about Cyclone Tracy which also took this approach. I enjoy working this way. Other people's stories always strike me as more interesting than my own.


In collating these stories, was there one in particular which especially resonated with you?

To be honest I have trouble picking a favourite. I loved hearing from Senior Conservation Botanist Neville Walsh - I’m particularly interested in the research and conservation work that the RBGV does. Horticulturalist Gemma Cotterell is doing great things with the Australian Forest Walk. I had a very nice time hanging out with the Manager of Arboriculture, Charlie Carroll, and talking about trees. My interview with Dean Stewart, about the pre-white settlement life of the RBGV landscape, and setting up the Aboriginal Heritage Walks in 1998 were fascinating. Stewart is a great story teller and historian.


How do you feel that being immersed in nature through both the wilderness and in structured landscapes such as botanic gardens can improve and add value to our everyday lives?

I think that having access to natural spaces - designed or not - is as essential to us as breathing. (Indeed, if you want to draw a long bow - trees help us breathe). 


After bringing this book together, what would be your top recommendations of sites to see for people visiting for the first time?

I’m not sure I can or should make recommendations - everyone will be looking for a different private moment, to get back to your first question. As Den Fisher said when I interviewed Dennis Fisher, who has led Aboriginal heritage walks for more than ten years, picking a favourite section of the gardens would be like picking a favourite niece or nephew. Impossible!

 

What would be the top three things you've opened your eyes to after penning these experiences and stories of the Gardens?


1. The extraordinary leadership work of the RGBV particularly with the development of its Landscape Succession Plan, and founding of the Climate Change Alliance

2. The work of the Victorian Conservation Seedbank

3. Being allowed to see some of the early collections that are held by the RGBV, which includes a banksia collected by Joseph Banks

About the author



Sophie Cunningham AM is the author of six books, including City of Trees – Essays on life, death and the need for a forest; Warning – The story of Cyclone Tracy; Melbourne; Bird; and Geography. She is also editor of the collection Fire, Flood, Plague: Australian writers respond to 2020. Sophie’s former roles include as a book publisher and editor, chair of the Literature Board of the Australia Council, editor of the literary journal Meanjin, and co-founder of The Stella Prize celebrating women’s writing. She is now an adjunct professor at RMIT University’s non/fiction Lab. In 2019, Sophie was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her contributions to literature.

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