Walking the Arboretum

Walking the Arboretum: a research project documenting the evolution of the Melbourne Arboretum

We spent a fabulous Friday walking the hills of the Melbourne Arboretum. What a beautiful day it was. The sun was shining through a few very angry clouds. The paddocks were unusually green for this time of year.  The air was so fresh; we could not have asked for a better way to spend the morning while talking about the beginnings of the Melbourne Arboretum with Dr Stefan Schutt and Associate Professor Donna Starks from La Trobe University, and Associate Professor Marsha Berry from RMIT University.  

Video was collected via Go Pro cameras mounted on two of the researchers’ foreheads, as well as still images taken by Dr Berry. Incredible stories were exchanged about how Maggie McDonell, being born here, connects with this land and dreamed about what is to come. The day was the first of a series of ‘walking’ interviews exploring the sense of connection to the Arboretum by people involved in its development. This project is HUGE and will take many years to develop. How lucky are we to have La Trobe and RMIT Universities involved in capturing this beautiful journey.