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