Record Store Day- In memory of Fist2Face

Record Store Day- In memory of Fist2Face

 In issue 192 (August 2011) of the BBCN I wrote an article about vinyl records and said: though they are considered old technology, there is still a place in the hearts of those who deem them priceless gems and digital music the work of something sinister. I made it clear that everything has its place and whilst vinyl is a tangible medium with lots of positives, I’ll never get a record player in my car or have 1000 albums at my choosing to listen to when taking a walk around the park.
Having said that...
Every year on the third Saturday of April vinyl lovers around the world rejoice, because since 2008 that day has become Record Store Day, an international celebration of small independent record stores and labels (sometimes they are the same thing) to promote the fact that there still are stores that sell music, and not just as a sideline in a big chain store.

With the development and mass acceptance of digital music and downloads there needed to be a way to announce that there was a more tangible alternative. I believe tangible is the key word here, many of us oldies must remember listening to a record, cassette or CD and holding the cover studying the artwork and trying to memorize the lyrics. I still remember the joy of going to places like Brashes and just slowing flipping through the countless rows of twelve inch records hoping to find something new to show off to your friends. Fair enough you can still do this in JB HiFi these days but they pack them in so tight you have to pull each CD out individually to see them. Not that I’m “dissing JB, I love the place, where else would I be able to buy all my “Old Fart” music cheaply. Record Day has proven to be quite successful and has been embraced by labels and artists alike and there are usually a large selection of current and re-releases in vinyl by new and old bands alike to help promote and celebrate. So on the 20th April this year my son and I made our way to the local “Indy store” to celebrate Record Store Day.
Situated opposite the old Fire Station on Maroondah Hwy in Ringwood is a rather unimposing shop front with the more imposing name of Fist2Face. Drive past and blink and you’ve missed it. But good things come in subtle packaging. Step inside the door and what you have is a cramped area no more than six metres by three metres covered like all good record stores should with posters and T Shirts and racks of music. Because it was Record Store Day, a new bin was constructed with freshly wrapped vinyl offerings. Put 10 people in this store and it gets hard to move around but that adds to the appeal. Where else can a 50 year old man strike up a conversation with a twenty something about the history of punk bands in Melbourne? The intimacy brings likeminded people together. And that is the beauty of Fist2Face, it caters for music lovers on all levels. Through the door of the little shop is a larger storage area where all kinds of CDs, vinyl, T-Shirts, posters basically anything to do with bands are sold over the internet. This is how smaller record stores battle digital downloads, they sell merchandise that gives the music its identity. By using this technology it also is an outlet for ticket sales to concerts for touring international and local bands alike. It gets more interesting because next to the shop front is a high gate covered with tin because the store is next door to an Auto accessory, one could be easily mistaken to think it is connected to that shop, but no. This opens up to a large forecourt with a small stage. So on special occasions like Record Store Day bands perform to help promote themselves and the occasion. On this day nine bands were scheduled to play. Beyond that is another gate that links back to storeroom and another room this one semi-soundproofed for local bands to practice in, which is how I came to know of Fist2Face in the first place through my son’s band. Gez, the owner is a devoted music lover and a musician himself and shares his love of music and in the past has hired young people connected with the VET audio/visual course.
Fist2Face is everything I wanted in a record store when I was growing up, now with record shops becoming rarer as years stream roll on it’s great to find something that sparks the love of music in me. I look forward to next year to see what new and exciting things I can rediscover.

Originally printed in the BBCN Issue 212 June 2013

THE MUSTARD (UK) ALAN MOORE INTERVIEW

THE MUSTARD (UK) ALAN MOORE INTERVIEW

A great read.
The Mustard humour magazine did this a few years ago and Alan Moore goes into great detail about writing, drugs and movies made of his comics.
A good read for a lazy day for the tablet or PC.
ENJOY

From little things big things grow- The Chandler Tree.

From little things big things grow- The Chandler Tree.

The Chandler Oak Winter 2013

Tucked away in the far corners of Knox council, lies the Basin, one of the first areas settled in the area and still the most rural and unaffected by mass progress. It was here that some great names of Australia and local history settled. James Griffith of Griffith Brothers Tea, JJ Miller creator of Millers Guide the horse racing and sporting bible and notably the Chandler family; who for generations were instrumental in building up the district with their business, community service and patronage.
Over the years the Chandler family’s achievements were many. In 1873 William Chandler, his wife Katie and their three children moved to the area. Leaving William’s Fathers successful nursery in Malvern to clear 40 acres to establish his own farm. Legend has it that he and his wife planted an acorn that grew into the heritage listed English Oak that stands outside the boundary fence of the family property “Como” on Sheffield road. As the oak grew and spread upward so did the Chandler family.
William and Katie had 11 children all up, 8 boys and 3 girls. With the expanding family came growing success. William would buy more land in the area and become a foundation councilor of the Ferntree Gully shire. Totaling three inherited traits that would follow on through the generations. Horticulture, civic duty and land speculation. William made his children work hard with the expectation that they would acquire property and economic support when they left home. The Parents certainly instilled a fine work ethic in their children. Most successful was Alfred who established his own nursery Everson, which stills continues in name today. He grew daffodils and boronia, abandoning the boronia after it was susceptible to disease. He also became a councilor and eventually was given the honour of naming his own suburb: Boronia after the flower he tried to unsuccessfully grow. He was offered to name the suburb after himself but declined.
Alfred took his political aspirations one step further and joined the Legislative Council and became a Minister in the State Government. He had the Chandler highway named after him which also involves him in a World Record as it is the shortest Highway in the world and has remained so for decades.

William and Katie Chandler dynasty builders

Alfred was a committed community man. He donated land for the Boronia Progress Hall and the Methodist Church. He was a justice of the peace and a member of the Bayswater Brass Band. His nursery was opened to the public to raise funds for local charities which he and his wife sponsored. Alfred’s son Gilbert went onto be the most celebrated member of the family going onto be district cricketer, VFL footballer for Hawthorn, serving as a councillor on the Ferntree Gully Shire before going onto a career in State politics. Which resulted in a notable stint as Minister of agriculture, Under his leadership the Department achieved a high level of development which contributed to the advancement of Victorian primary industry, especially in the areas of animal husbandry, research into animal and plant diseases, and the economic management of farms. The Gilbert Chandler Institute of Dairy Technology at Werribee was named in his honour.
A man of great ability he was on the 1956 Olympic committee. Churchill National Park's committee of management and a committee-member of the Fern Tree Gully National Park, He chaired the government's bush fires relief committee and served as president of the Boronia Basin division of the St John Ambulance Brigade. All these achievements culminated in the rewarding of a Knighthood in 1972. Gilbert’s brother Alan another notable member of the family who also served as a councillor on the Shire was instrumental in helping the establishment of the Boronia Bowls club. Of course, all this just brushes over the surface of the families accomplishments there was involvement in the establishment of hospitals, postal service, schools, halls and involvement in the fire services and I have only concentrated on the male members.
A notable female member is Fergus (Alfred’s nephew) Chandler’s wife Edna. Her most distinguished award being an MBE in 1978 for services to the community and to The Basin Theatre. In 1948, the above mentioned Fergus’ Father Bert after setting up his two older sons, helped his youngest son John to obtain part of the original Como property. They formed a partnership as Bert Chandler and Son. The business continued successfully for 40 more years. In 1988 the Como property was sold and after 117 years was no longer in Chandler Family hands.
Meanwhile, the oak back at Sheffield road kept growing. These days it has become a historical site with a stone maker and plaque. The plaque gives a brief history and ends with the words “One of the finest specimens of this tree in Australia please help to protect it.” Now 138 years old it has become an icon and been classified by the National Trust because of its size, form and historical significance. The tree has been pruned a number of times over the years and in 1982, to support the weight of its massive limbs steel cables were attached from the main trunk. Over enthusiastic pruning by Knox Council (who are responsible for its well being) has on occasions led to the intervention of local residents.

Recently work has begun on a water garden metres from its trunk to help with drainage. There are, however, those who are concerned for the future of the oak. Local Parks Victoria Rangers hold fears that the tree has Cinnamon Fungus a disease that attacks the roots from the ground water and kills the tree from the top down. A glance upward towards the oaks majestic canopy can see proof of this damage, bare dead branches protrude from the foliage.
Some believe that Melbourne Water should take some action with Dobson’s creek encroaching upon the trees wide based trunk a product of erosion. The consensus being that with age the mighty landmark needs a lot more attention not from anyone authority but from all in a concerted effort to protect and maintain a valuable piece of local history.

Most of the information for this article was taken from articles and books found in two of the most important buildings in Knox. The Boronia Library and the Ambleside, home of the Knox Historical Society.
Originally published in the BBCN Issue 214   August 2013

THAT TIME KISS WERE ON SCOOBY DOO.

THAT TIME KISS WERE ON SCOOBY DOO.

The PEN CAMPAIGN - WOMBAT COMICZ

This is why I don't draw comics. One of my stories from the 1984 WOMBAT COMICZ.

No apologies.

H R GIGER

Hans Rudolf "Ruedi" (H R)  Giger was a visionary artist and creator. If he only did the design for Alien , it would have been enough for any one lifetime. This is a collection of videos showcasing the great man's mueum and other people collections. I found them interesting boardering on fascinating. ENJOY!


A collection by someone who calls himself Louis Nostromo.



 A fans shakey walk around of the HR Giger Bar and Museum.
 



 A collection of artworks spanning his career.
 


An article from WIRED Magazine about the ALIEN design


A great video to play in the background at your next Halloween party.

Whatever did happen to the Yellow Submarine?

Whatever did happen to the Yellow Submarine?
I reported earlier on the Robert Zemeckis movie remake that was cancelled by Disney. Here and HERE  for a page of concept art and a bit of back story.

It's been over 50 years since the Beatles released the album / movie Yellow Submarine.
Which begs the question: Whatever happened to it?

A quick sprint around the interweb found a couple of possible endings.



Gorllaz revealed this in their biography The RISE OF THE OGRE.

Up until 2014 it could be found at the Hard Rock Cafe in Acapulco.

Alan Moore from the League of Extraordinary Tempest comic suggests this.

Back in 2010 Rolling Stone Mag used it in an add for Water conservation.

Here it was considered for a Yellow Submarine themed 

carousal in a HARD ROCK Cafe theme park.

And here it was turned into a shitty bathroom caddy.

VIETNAM VETERANS MUSEUM

A day at the museum

One of the things that I have meant to do on my countless travels to Phillip Island but always neglected for one reason or another is to visit the National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM). For many years the museum was in what I assumed was a small hall on the outskirts of the San Remo shopping district until 2007 when it was moved into the larger and more imposing site on the Island proper at Newhaven next to the airport.

This January I had only a couple of nights one weekend to join the rest of the family on a summer break, so I made it a priority to visit the museum at the first opportunity.

Saturday afternoon I travelled across from Cowes and pulled into the museum - which from the outside is reminiscent of a basketball stadium-and, its almost empty car park, I wasn’t sure if this was a good sign.

The entry foyer is deceiving with the small Nui Dat Café to one side and the usual merchandising section with the counter for admissions on the other side. It was all rather small and compact. It is a wonderful deception and doesn’t prepare you when you pull open the small shop front doors to be greeted by the vast open area filled with history and exhibits. It is only when you remember the aircraft hanger size of the building that you should not have expected less. I believe it is actually much larger than it appears from the outside.

The museum is so comprehensive on the subject it houses that there is nothing you shouldn’t have answered within its walls.

The building houses no less than three complete helicopters including a Cobra Attack Helicopter., a Centurion tank, a Howitzer artillery gun (compete with parachute suspended from the ceiling), transport vehicles as well as many smaller models and dioramas. These items alone will fascinate the kids.

I, however, was fascinated by the detailed listings of those who served and died as well as the large ephemeral collection, including newspapers, log books, beer cans, script currency and the many photos of diggers doing their daily deeds at rest as well as in the field.

One of the most stunning exhibits is the Sound and Light Show This world-class program is a short history of the Vietnam War using multimedia and holographic technology, an informative show lasting eighteen minutes that leaves you much wiser and probably more than a little amazed at the brilliance of the presentation.

Moving between exhibits and pieces you will find complete uniforms from different services as well as support staff, with a collection of arms and munitions. The Museum also doesn’t shy away from the negative aspects of the times with many articles and videos of the protests and anti-war movements that were active during the wars latter years.

It also has a set of the infamous marbles used for the ballot to conscript young men into the services.

Though the Vietnam War was smaller in commitment and territory than World War One and Two, Australia’s involvement actually lasted longer than the latter two combined. And when this is taken into account it highlights how much the Vietnam War had an effect on a country finding its own identity leading up to the 21^st Century.

Though I have mentioned the size of the Museum’s area of the exhibition, it is not to you move towards the rear that you get another glimpse of the potential of this museums growth. At the back half of the building is the aircraft restoration area where two massive Wessex helicopters (one partial, one close to completion) are housed and an even larger Canberra bomber with its wings standing beside it, by far the largest piece of the collection and dwarfing all other pieces. This place is so big and full of interesting things that you don’t see it until you’re on top of it.

I grew up watching the Vietnam war on TV every night and it seemed to desensitize me to what was really going on and I don’t remember talking about it with my family or friends, not even at school. It just seemed to be in the background through my pre-teen years. When I did start to pay attention (though not too intensely)  in my latter teens it was the different way the Vietnam war was portrayed compared to other current wars.

The First World War was about farmers (like granddad) rushing off to the other side of the world and then coming back to farm again, on the way giving us a day off from school. The Second World War was all about the Americans and the thousand and one movies I watched showing us how they won the war for everyone. Whilst the older kids I knew whose dads went to war all seemed like normal dads and not a bit like the Americans. The Korean War was M.A.S.H as far as I was concerned, but the Vietnam vets were portrayed as unloved, unwanted fighting a war no one wanted. In most movies, they were cast as crazy loners who didn’t fit in and didn’t want to talk about it.

Eventually, as I grew older I realized all that most of all the above was pure toss and things weren’t as simple as I first thought. The National Vietnam Veterans Museum gives a comprehensive view of the history of the war, the times it was set and the effect it had on Australia and the rest of the world. The whole presentation is done in a way that makes it stimulating and entertaining as well as thought-provoking whilst all the time being very informative. In closing, the museum is excellent value for money and worth a repeat visit.

Originally published in Issue 111 BBCN April 2013

I PUBLISHED A COMIC ONCE.

I PUBLISHED A COMIC ONCE.

WOMBAT COMICZ 1984

Way back in the early 1980s my brother Joe and I wrote, drew and published our very own comic. It was a bucket list event before bucket list events were popular.

We both grew up on KG Murray reprints of DC characters and MAD magazine but were truly inspired and hugely influenced by the American and European underground comics like ZAP, Dopin’ Dan, the Fury Freak Brothers and Slow Death. Artists like Robert Crumb, Robert Williams, Gilbert Shelton, Paul Mavrides, Ted Richards and Rand Holmes were drawing stuff that blew our collective minds and we wanted to do what they did.

I don’t know if many of you remember the 1980s, but I don’t have great memories of it. The fashion was terrible back then, I winced at the New Romantic fluffy shirts, big coats and stretch jeans, shoulder pads on T-shirts and the ridiculous all black and stud wearing Goth’s back when it was in vogue, now I just cringe. Mainstream music was horrendous and would only get worse until the decade was over. All the hopes we had of growing old enough and getting some of that hippy free love and sex was crushed by the AIDS spectre. The best thing about the 80s was the underground culture bubbling underneath the surface offering alternatives to the commercial onslaught in the press, TV and radio.

Phantom parody

As kids, both Joe and I loved to draw, whether it be copying pictures of Superman or drawing big fantasy football games on butcher’s paper. I do remember Joe’s style growing out of his love of drawing Fred Flintstone and then watching that character evolve into a cigarette smoking, beer chugging ocker. I had a hard time keeping a character constant and my ability to draw hands was non-existent whereas Joe seemed to have no trouble at all, all up his skill set at drawing was far superior to mine, I accepted it and encouraged it.

Living in a house with three teenage brothers, Joe was youngest, then me and our two older brothers, there was always fighting and arguing as the pecking order was kept in check. With this was also a lot of ribald humour, practical jokes and immature shenanigans. You must remember this is a time when baby jokes were the height of popularity, a new joke was like a new meme these days, everyone wanted to know a new one and be first to tell it. For example, when the first Space Shuttle exploded in 1986, there were jokes going around before the rocket had hit the earth.

This kind of humour influenced many of the stories that we worked on, which I’ll get to later.

As we left school and got jobs, we found we had quite a bit of disposable income, whilst I spent mine on music, books and guitars, Joe spent his on writing pads and pencils and ink. As I tried to master the guitar, Joe concentrated on his art and storytelling. Every now and again he’d show me a thing he was working on and I’d be impressed but rather than say how good it was I’d say “That’s not funny, that’s sick” which seemed to impress him more. It got to the point where I decided that if he could do this I could too, and I started doing my own stories, occasionally swapping ideas.

We would often pick up our growing collection of underground comics and use them for reference for layout and ideas and marvel at the simplicity of it all, we started to research the artists themselves, finding a book about the U.S underground scene in the local library or a magazine article.  There always seemed to be a constant theme, if you wanted to do something badly enough and no one would do it for you. Do it yourself. As we were building up this collection of comics Joe and I decided we should give it a crack and do our own.

We had no idea what we were doing, how to present the artwork, how to format, who would print it and how much.

For some unknown reason, Joe was obsessed with copyright and wanted to know what it was and how it affected his artwork. He thought it was some legal requirement akin to setting up a mortgage. That it needed to be registered with some legal firm or faceless Government department. I simply went to the library (I keep mentioning this “library” place kiddies. It was a really useful resource before they put Google in your phones) I read a few chapters and was satisfied I had a grasp on it. Joe, however, wasn’t, even though I showed him all my findings, he wanted to ask anybody and everybody who ever worked in a bookshop, a newsagent or street vendor who sold comics, because they were “professionals”. Most who looked at him as if he was “special”.

With the whole copyright mystery solved and behind us, we next needed to know who would print our comic. Places like Kwik Kopy were popping up in suburbs around Melbourne and were offering quick and simply printing services, though at the time limited. They liked our idea but suggested a more traditional printer for our job. We had a mate who worked for one of the larger printers. Packer’s I think it was and he suggested a smaller local guy in nearby Oakleigh.

By this stage, we were getting all our facts and figures in place, but we still didn’t have enough pages of content to actually print. The guy who owned the printers was understanding kind of chap, he had to be with two complete amateurs asking all the wrong questions. Straight away he saw a problem with the samples we had brought along with us. I liked to draw on A4 paper, but Joe liked to do everything on A3. The printer said if we wanted a standard comic, he would do it in A4. Joe would have to redraw everything. Well, that was never going to happen, and the project nearly died right there and then, when the printer seeing our devasted faces and sensing a lost job said that he could shrink the originals, but we may lose detail. We were hacks, we didn’t give a shit and we were happy again. The printer asked when we wanted to start, and we said when we get enough pages to fill the book. When we left, I turned and saw the guy shaking his head in disbelief.

It would take us nearly a year before we finally finished. I know it was a passion but we were both in our early twenties and life had to be lived. No sitting alone in a garret, anguishing over work for us two.

The main story.
Legends of the Dreamtime.

We had managed to cobble together 52 pages with a cover that we wanted to be in colour. It consisted of a six-page story on angry pens and pencils by me, a whole heap of one and two-page jokes influenced by MAD magazine by Joe and myself and the bulk taken up by a seventeen-page epic called Legends of the Dreamtime by Joe. A story that told the adventures of two drunken marsupial’s, a koala and a kangaroo that incorporated many a 1980s news story including Aboriginal rights, the Lindy Chamberlain debacle and that time a semi-trailer drove through a pub in Alice Springs, a reluctant superhero and a regurgitating giant frog. All through the comic in either one-page gags or running underneath the main LotD story as three-panel gags (similar to Gilbert Shelton’s Fat Freddy’s Cat.) were one of Joe’s favourite characters, the Rats. These little Rat’s Tales (as they were titled) were usually bad jokes we all told each other when we were drunk and were never in good taste. To look back at the comic as a whole these days, it would never pass the vetting stage of the printer if they had a modicum of self-respect.

The Nolan's Research Time. Joe on RHS

Just prior to taking the finished product to the printers I transferred to Queensland with my job and the bulk of the final stages of the comic were left to Joe to manage.

There were some minor problems. It was cheaper to just leave the inside cover and back page blank as a cost-saving measure. Then the printer had a problem with the cover as it was a parody of the popular Life Be In It Ad campaign. The printer said he could get a grant because of the nature of the publication but if it had advertising anywhere in the comic it would be void. This grant, unbeknownst to us up till this point was factored into our price. Eventually, it was agreed that the cover was of satirical intent so passed the litmus test for the grant. The printer wanted 50% up front for artwork and preparation and the other 50% on completion collection six weeks later in March 1984. As luck would have it I came home for a holiday the day after Joe collected the comic from the printer. In the shed was 10 boxes each containing 100 copies of Wombat Comiz- the Z on the end to appease our punk aesthetic. I liked what I saw and promptly pointed out the obvious. Joe, who was obsessed with copyright failed to put one single copyright symbol or notice anywhere on the comic. The printer who was so concerned about the advertising implied on the cover put his own little printing blurb on the otherwise blank back cover. Aside from that, I was impressed. Dad. Who read it said, “I don’t see the humour in it” Mum who didn’t read it said “It’s lovely dear”

While I was home we barnstormed some ideas on how to get rid of the rest of the comics after we had sold or given away copies to all our friends and family. We devised a strategy to try and push it through the local Milk Bar, newsagents and even the pub, possibly going into town to see if someone would take a few copies. We thought of making a whole heap of stickers and sticking them everywhere. Places like urinals, bank and post office windows and Stop signs. I went back to Queensland and after six months I came back and found nothing had been done, Joe was going to go to the Small Café at Monash Uni. But the week before the Federal Police went through it and he decided not to do it. So we still had nine boxes of comics and no real desire to get rid of them. The whole process seemed to take the steam out of it for Joe and me coming back, I felt like all the momentum had run out. At the same time our Dad got seriously ill, so we just moved on to other things.

RAT TALES

About fifteen years ago, the family home was sold and Mum was moving to smaller premises, we had to clean out the place. Part of the many things that were thrown in the large skip bin was one and a half cartons of Wombat Comicz. Some water damaged the rest in fairly good condition. Joe and I looked at them for a minute or so, discussed if we should keep the good box and decided to ditch the lot, remarking that in the fifteen plus years earlier how the hell we managed to unload so many? I quick look in the bin later the next day (it was out in the street) and I noticed both boxes had been taken, everything else remained. Joe continued to draw and even took some classes but when his new job took him all over Australia, he just didn’t have time anymore, I got married and started a family and we never got round to issue two.

It’s crazy these days looking back when this all happened. Faxes were new technology and used that horrible thermal paper, photocopies were a great tool if you could get hold of one but they were still limited in what they could do and the kind of quality they offered.  Only the other day I scanned, printed and bound an original copy of Wombat Comicz in a few minutes from my office.

You’ll never find Wombat Comicz in any Australian comic or small press, even ‘zine histories because of its provincial distribution. But after all these years I’m still proud of it, and I can say I published a comic once.  

Also published in BBCN Issue 270 August 2018

The Secret Garden Olinda

THE SECRET GARDEN. 

 

I first read about the Secret Garden in the excellent “The Dandenong Ranges” by Kornelia Freeman and Ulo Pukk. I had visited most gardens and parks listed in the book, many which are quite renowned such as the Rhododendron and Nicholas Memorial Gardens and smaller venues like Pirianda and George Tindale Memorial gardens. Unlike the more popular gardens in the area, the Secret Garden doesn’t appear on a lot of the more available maps, but

luckily it is listed in the State Heritage Register due to some of its unique features. That aside, it’s still a hard place to find if you don’t know where to look or if you aren’t paying attention. It took me two attempts to find, the first I must admit I wasn’t really prepared and I was starved of time and daylight.
 Thanks to modern technology, i.e.: my computer and the google maps I found a path near a small rest stop on the otherwise tight Perrins Creek Road on the way to Kallista from Olinda. The Secret Garden is located in the Perrins Creek Reserve and falls under the care of Parks Victoria. It was originally a private business. Williams Nursery established in the early 1930s and seemed to be still trading in some form as of 1954. It was part of the growing commercial nursery industry formed in and around Olinda in the early 1920s when local farmers turned from berry farming to flower farms. 

A clipping from a Canberra newspaper in 1933 reports how the owner J.B Williams at short notice had arranged for a shipment of Rhododendrons to Canberra. The flowers were packed and dispatched on Friday and were displayed the next day with roses from the new Parliament house garden in an exhibition that was declared “spectacular”. Rhododendrons at the time were considered “rare and exquisite flowers” at the time in our newly created capital. 

A 1954 picture from the Nursery

There is no trace of the nursery from the road these days and as I followed the track into the bush, my first thought was how or where was I going to cross the creek that runs along the side of the road? Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long for an answer to that question because just a bit further down the track was a small sturdy bridge and on the other side a defined and wider path that led up the hill. From this point, there was evidence of Park’s Victoria work with young native trees being planted and the odd chainsaw clearing. Someone had also done me the favour of tying pink ribbons at random points to what I assumed was a guide to the Secret Garden itself. I guessed right and after only a short walk, further along, I could see the environment change. 
At this point, the trees are gnarled and covered in moss giving the bush a Harry Potter Dark Forest vibe, very creepy but also quite beautiful. In the middle of this natural growth of gum trees and ferns were fully grown deciduous trees and the

Steps and tiered wall

ground was covered with their shed autumn leaves. It was also a stunning contrast with all the orange and reds bursting through the muted greens of the gums and domestic foliage. 
After a quick climb and a few bends, the area opens up, before us like an ancient ruin was a three-tiered wall made of rocks split by a set of moss and leaf covered steps, I had found the remains of the nursery. It’s only when you reach an area that levels out

that the whole Secret Garden name really strikes home, the style of the wall is very familiar and it looks like it was an abandoned part of the Alfred Nicolas gardens only about a kilometre away as the crow flies. 

Looking towards the bend

The wide path that the wall runs boundary to, is treelined and gives the impression of a driveway or a grand entrance. All around are mature Beech trees, some straight and narrow lining up along the pathway to create an avenue while others

First view of the nursery

more bent with gnarly roots snaking out all over the uneven ground and down the  slopes that fall away from the path. All of them in their autumn coats of diminishing but brilliantly coloured leaves. The steps sadly lead nowhere and access is blocked by a thick bush. 

A cluster of sequoias
surrouning the reservoir

The Mighty Sequoia

So I decided to follow the wide path up further where it disappeared around a bend expecting it also to run into a wall of natural bushland. Turning the corner and to my surprise, the path/road continued, I came to realise that the path must be the driveway into the old nursery as it was a gentle incline that my own car could have navigated It appeared to head westward towards properties that border the reserve. It was here standing very tall, straight and wide were other introduced trees on the slopes leading down to the creek, the amazing sequoias or Californian Redwoods. All hidden from my starting point by the undulating landscape and forest. One mighty Redwood measured well over two metres in diameter. I followed a shallow path downwards where another group of sequoias surrounded a manmade pit. Either the remains of a small reservoir or retaining wall but obviously once part of the former nursery. Moving back onto the main path and moving upward evidence of galvanised pipes poked out of the walls of the upside hill of the wide path. There even seemed to be small flat sidings off the road that may have been in the past the foundation of a shed. 

The path after the bend

Only a short walk up the ever inclining path I could see the backyard of a house and it was then that it dawned on me. The original Nursery entrance wasn’t on Perrins Creek road it was on one of the streets behind. And sure enough, after checking my maps, the reserve itself has an unmarked and unsigned narrow entry between two properties for access, it actually looks like the driveway for one of the neighbouring properties until you get closer. Looking back down from the road on the right-hand side of the now obvious driveway were a group of mature beech trees planted uniformly that must have been there from the original nursery days. 

Original road in

The Front Entrance

The walk back gave me more of a chance to pay more attention to detail on the way back to my car and doing so found more irrigation pipes and outlets running down to the creek but I couldn’t find any buildings or remains of anything resembling such. As I was leaving the light was hitting the tops of the trees and the autumn leaves of the Beech trees seemed to glow brighter in the afternoon sun. 
I think I gave enough clues where to find the Secret Garden and discover its wonders yourself. It never ceases to amaze me the history and wonderful things to find up the mountain. 

Irrigation pipes still remain

Distribution pit

Late addition August 2018

As a sidebar. 
One other notable features around the Secret Garden is Dalcrombie, the estate the garden backs onto. Delcrombie. A beautiful example of Art Deco architecture and was designed by prominent Australian Architect Mr Esmond Dorney and NOT by  Harry Norris who was responsible for the nearby albeit more famous and sadly  derelict Burnham Beeches. It was built for Mr Earl Coles, of the Coles and Garrard fame. Now in private hands, and was reported to once have had nearly 50 metres of dovecotes (aviaries), a monkey house and a Seal enclosure.  

UPDATE: 2022-03-16 Correction Dalcrombie was NOT designed by Harry Norris.

From The Wikipedia page of  ESMOND DORNEY

Dalcrombie

Long mis-attributed to Harry Norris, this is possibly the most extraordinary Moderne private house in Victoria. Located on a large estate in the hills outside Melbourne at 11 Warwick Farm Rd, Olinda, it was built in c1939 for optometrist Earl Coles, a partner in the then well known optometrists Coles & Garrard, and originally called Lanhydrock.

The design exploits reinforced concrete to an unusual degree, with boldly cantilevered semi-circular window bays and an extensive first floor deck supported on just a few columns, allowing wide window openings below, and a tall circular stair tower largely composed of glass blocks. The house features multiple projecting semi-circular elements, a favoured element of Dorney's Moderne designs, projecting out from a central cuboid volume, with attached vertical elements, to create an elaborate dynamic composition.

A large 1980s single storey addition to the north side features an almost matching projecting semi-circular window element, adding to the complexity.

Thanks to Anita for the correction.

previously published in The BBCN Issue 267 June 2018