By Laura Michell
Robyn Richards has called Roxburgh Park home for more than 20 years. As president of the Craigieburn Community Garden, she is one of the many dedicated local gardeners helping the Hamilton Street garden grow.
What is your connection to Hume?
I actually live in Roxburgh Park, moving here in 1995. When Bridgewater Road was made into a through road, I was able to access many of the facilities available in Craigieburn that Roxburgh Park did not offer.
What do you like about where you live?
I like all the walking paths that connect all the local areas together. I was a Seeing Eye Dog puppy carer and took my dog for walks all over Roxburgh Park and Craigieburn. I met many other dog owners on my daily walks and found the local people to be warm and friendly. I like the diversity of the people who live in this area.
What, if anything, would you like to change?
I would like to see more facilities for young people to be active in the local area. We should give teenagers the opportunity to voice their opinions and tell us how they want to be involved. If they have control over what is offered to them, they will “own” those places and make good use of them.
How long have you been involved in the Craigieburn Community Garden and how did you first become involved?
Craigieburn Community Garden commenced in 2012. I learned about the garden through word of mouth and attended the meetings that Hume council organised in order to set up the garden. Since that time, I have been working on my own plot at the garden as well as attending the monthly working bees with many other gardeners to establish and maintain the communal plots. The gardeners work together to produce vegetables, which we share. We take pride in our garden and spend many hours together maintaining our space while we build relationships with each other.
Are you a member of any other local groups?
I am a member of the Roxburgh Park Community Church, which currently meets at the Craigieburn Bowling Club.
What is your favourite local place to spend time?
The garden is definitely my favourite place. Every Saturday will see me either weeding my plot or turning the compost. We plan what we want to grow in the communal beds. Months in advance, we sow seeds in trays, nurture them and eventually plant them out in the garden. It is a pleasure to see all the garden beds flourishing as we anticipate the harvest ahead.
