Updated February 2012
If your community garden is not listed, please send us information at info[at]communitygarden.org.au listing your:
- location
- details and meeting times
- contact
Please also notify us of any change of details.
Central and eastern Sydney community good systems
Community Food Systems include:
- community food garden
- food co-operatives
- community supported agriculture
- street verge gardens
- food swaps and
- other initiatives with social goals around food production, processing, distribution and food waste management.
They are managed as voluntary community organizations, social enterprise (not for profit business), small business and social business (business with social goals, not just profit making). Their work is supplemented by advocacy and educational agencies that work to improve urban food security and food sovereignty. Community food systems may be assisted by local, state and federal government initiatives.
On the map you will find community and street verge gardens, food co-operatives, Sydney Food Connect City Cousin collection points for the weekly box of local organic food and other community food systems.
SYDNEY REGION COMMUNITY GARDENS
Assistance with community gardening for social housing tenants
Community Greening is an initiative of the Botanic Gardens Trust and Housing New South Wales to assist social housing tenants with community gardening on land managed by Housing NSW.
CITY OF SYDNEY local government area
Community gardens in the City of Sydney local government area:
City of Sydney community garden list (also listed below).
Information on City of Sydney assistance to community gardening: Russ Grayson, City of Sydney Community Garden & Volunteer Coordinator — 02 9265 9786.
Alexandria Park Community Garden
Location: Alexandria Park Community School & Community Centre
Corner Buckland Street and Park Road
Alexandria NSW 2015
Description: The community garden is located in the grounds of the community centre as well as at the end of the nearby football field. It has both shared garden areas and plots for individuals. There is an annual Permablitz community construction day. Installations include raised gardens for vegetables and herbs, fruit trees, compost production and a small aquaponic demonstration system.
In May 2011 a long-nosed bandicoot, a nocturnal mammal rare in Sydney, was photographed by the National parks and Wildlife Service after its presence was noticed by community gardeners.
For more information visit: http://www.thebesttime.net/apcc/CommunityGarden.asp
Contact: Alexandria Park Community Centre 02 9319 3207.
Raised allotments and shared garden beds on the football field, part of Alexandria Park Community Garden
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Angel Street Permaculture Garden
Location: Corner of Angel and Harold Streets, Newtown.
Description: structured as a food forest and dominated by trees, including fruits and other useful species, with a smaller area used for vegetable production.
A Food Connect City Cousin collection point for the Food Connect Community Supported Agriculture scheme.
One of Sydney’s early community gardens, created in 1991 after the gardeners were denied access to Sydney Park, in Petersham, for Sydney City Farm.
Open: Sunday 9:30am – 11:30 am
Contact: For more information visit: angelstreetpg@gmail.com or
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=109970329369
The green world of Angel Street Permaculture Garden.
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Bourke Street Park Community Garden
Location: Bourke Street Park Bourke Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
(just northwards of the Cathedral Street intersection)
Description: Located on NSW government land managed by the City of Sydney, the garden started in late 2011 and is used by people living in Woolloomooloo, by local social agencies, TAFE Outreach and the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust Community Greening Program.
This is Woolloomooloo’s second garden, the other located in Sydney Place on Dowling Street (see below).
Garden in formation.
Contact: Russ Grayson at rgrayson[at]cityofsydney.new.gov.au
Bourke Street Community Garden
Charlie’s Garden
Location: Charles Kernan Reserve, Abercrombie Street, Darlington NSW 2008
Description: Located on City of Sydney land and opened in late 2010, Charlie’s is a small garden where food is grown in raised, recycled brick garden beds and is shared among gardeners. There is composting, including food wastes from a nearby cafe, and a number of fruit trees and shrubs.
For more information: charliesfoodgarden.com.au
Contact: info[at]charliesfoodgarden.com.au
Opening of Charlie's Garden
Glebe Community Garden
Location: Corner of Derwent Lane and Street Johns Road, Glebe.
Description: The garden is a community venture on land owned by the Anglican Church. Open to the public and community managed, there are individual plots, shared gardening areas and a composting facility.
Contact: info[at]glebecommunitygardens.org.au www.glebecommunitygardens.org.au
Tour visitors at Glebe Community in the church grounds.
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Greg Hewish Community Garden
Location: Corner of Marriot Street and Ogden Lane, Redfern.
Description: A community garden of 12 plots in raised, brick garden beds producing vegetables and culinary herbs. The garden features fruit trees, composting facilities and rainwater tank on church land.
Contact: Convenor 02 9698 1620.
- The raised garden beds of Greg Hewish Memorial Garden.
James Street Reserve Community Garden
Location: Corner of James Street and Young Lane Redern NSW 2016
Description: Occupying half of a pocket park on City of Sydney land, the community garden reclaimed poorly used space for local community use. A small grant was obtained from the City of Sydney and gardeners designed and built the community garden themselves. Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, opened the garden in late 2010.
The garden consists of six large, circular, galvanised iron planters and a number of concrete pipe sections with mosaic art work done by the gardeners. A couple of the pipe sections grow vegetables for passers-by to glean from. Fruit trees include olives, banana, coffee and citrus. Composting is carried out in domestic-type bins.
Contact: jsrcommunitygarden[at]gmail.com jsrcg.blogspot.com
Opening of James Street Reserve Community Garden
Newtown Community Garden
Location: Corner of Longdown and Stephen Streets, Newtown (in the grounds of the Carter Evans Day Centre)
Description: A compact community garden on City of Sydney land, it consists of small plots and shared gardening areas, raised garden beds of wooden sleepers, a pond, rainwater tank and composting facilities.
Gardeners meet Wednesday mornings at 10.00am when there is often a guest speaker and morning tea.
Contact: ferrie[at]bigpond.com
Newtown community gardeners May 2010
Poet’s Corner Community Garden
Location: Morehead Street, Redfern.
Details: A community garden started in 2008 on Housing NSW land. Installations include raised garden beds, a pergola and composting. Gardeners must be tenants of Housing NSW.
Contact: Georgina Clark T: 02 9245 1841 E: Georgina.clark[at]unsw.edu.au
Poet's Corner Community Garden
Raised garden beds of concrete blocks and crushed gravel paths at Woolloomooloo Community Garden.
Woolloomooloo Community Garden
Location: Corner of Dowling Street and Sydney Place, Woolloomooloo.
Description: Located in Sydney Place recreation reserve and enclosed by a low fence, Woolloomooloo Community Garden is informally managed and features shared gardening areas and allotments; raised gardens for the less-mobile, water harvesting and storage for garden irrigation in rainwater tank; compost production and large wormery; herbs, vegetables and fruit trees.
Contact: brian.waldron[at]iinet.net.au
The Luncheon Club Eden Garden
Location: South Sydney Uniting Church, 56A Raglan Street, Waterloo.
Details: Started as the Waterloo Community Garden in 1991 by a community worker associated with the church, the garden is used primarily for horticultural therapy and includes vegetable production, chickens and composting. With Angel Street Permaculture Garden, this is one of Sydney’s older community gardens.
Site of Waterloo Community Garden, one of Sydney’s first, started by community worker Rhonda Hunt in 1991.
Contact: Keith — 0407 780 134; or Vicki — 0419 120 260. email kayjay1955[at]hotmail.com
The Luncheon Club Eden Garden
Ultimo Community Garden
Location: Ultimo Community Garden McKee Street Reserve between McKee and Wattle streets Ultimo NSW 2007
Details: Approved by council in late 2010, the garden was awarded a City of Sydney Matching Grant to cover start-up costs. The garden team produced a management and a works plan and the garden was built by the gardeners themselves. Construction was completed by the end of June 2011.
The garden consists of parallel rows of raised garden beds and a number of compost bins. Located in a public reserve, the garden is unfenced.
Contact: info[at]ultimocommunitygarden.org.au www.ultimocommunitygarden.org.au
Ultimo Community Garden July 2011
Waterloo community gardens — Cook, Solander, Marten
Location: On land of the Waterloo social housing estate on Raglan Street, Waterloo:
- Marton Community Garden Raglan Street Waterloo NSW 2017
- Solander Community Garden Raglan Street Waterloo NSW 2017
- Cook Community Garden cnr of Raglan and Pitt Streets Waterloo NSW 2017
Details: Participation is limited to Waterloo Housing NSW tenants.
The gardens receive assistance from the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust’s Community Greening program, set up to assist social housing tenants with community gardening, a partnership between the Trust and Housing NSW.
Cook Community Garden was the first of the three gardens to be established with the assistance of Housing NSW and South Sydney Council (since amalgamated with City of Sydney). Community worker, Rhonda Hunt, who started the Waterloo Community Garden at the Raglan Street Uniting Church in 1991 was then working for South Sydney Council and was instrumental in assisting the Cook Community Garden start-up, along with Prue Rheuben from UNSW, which maintained offices on the estate to train community workers. The Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network provided training for the multicultural Cook gardeners, through a Russian translator.
The three gardens are fenced, feature signage announcing the garden, seating, garden allotments and are used mainly for vegetable production for the residents of the social housing estate high rise.
Contact: Georgina Clark T: 02 9245 1841 E: Georgina.clark[at]unsw.edu.au
Community gardens ELSEWHERE IN SYDNEY
INNER WEST
Leichhardt
Glovers Community Organic Garden
Location: Glovers Street, Lilyfield
Details: Glovers is Sydney’s oldest community garden and since being first planted in 1985 gardeners have come and gone but the garden has persisted. At Glovers Garden, we grow a sense of place as well as a biodiversity of edible and other plants because place, plants and people go together like beans and corn.
Contact: http://glovers.communitygarden.org.au
Announcing the presence of Glovers Community Garden is a big, bright sign made as a mosaic. Welcoming signage establishes community gardens in their locale and welcome visitors to see what goes on there. Signs such as this mosaic production can be made as a workshop exercise by the gardeners.
Whites Creek Community Garden
Location: 31 White Street, Lilyfield
Details: The community garden is run by Friends of Whites Creek Valley Park (FOWCVP) who also host regular garden talks.
Contact: Gillian Leahy, coordinator e. bibster[at]ozemail.com.au
Whites Creek Community Garden
Marrickville
Addison Road Community Garden
Location: Addison Road Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville.
Description: Addison Road Community Garden is an organic garden which
features a wide variety of edible plants, fruit trees and frog ponds with
edible water plants. New members are welcome to join.
We have Working Beesevery Sunday. You can find us at the Addison Rd Centre behind the GreekTheatre.
Contact: addison.rd.community.garden[at]gmail.com
Ashfield
Eora Community Garden
Location: 135 Smith Street, Summer Hill above the Share childcare centre – just up from the Summer Hill Community Centre.
Description: Ashfield Community Gardeners is a group of local residents working together to establish a ‘trial’ garden in Summer Hill that was started in January 2010 – the Eora Community Garden.
Contact: AshfieldCommunityGardeners[at]hotmail.com | http://ashfieldgarden.pbworks.com/ | http://www.ashfield.nsw.gov.au/page/community_garden.html
EASTERN SUBURBS
Randwick Community Organic Garden
Location: Payne Reserve, Botany Road, Randwick.
Description: A site of approximately one hectare on land owned by Randwick City Council and NSW Department of Lands consisting of allotments and shared garden areas, compost production, pergola, storage shed, chooks (first flock killed by a fox), large water tank harvesting water from an adjacent building and plants indigenous to the Eastern Suburbs.
Site also used by the Arts in the Community Garden team. Education program for new members and the public. Innovative training ans site management.
This is the relocated site for the Randwick garden, previously being located at the now disused community centre on Bundock Street where it started in 1994 as the outcome of a Pacific-Edge Permaculture Design Course.
Contact: Emma Daniell, training coordinator and horticulturist — 0402 287 393 | emmadan13[at]yahoo.com.au
Randwick Organic Community Garden.
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Paddington Community Garden
Location: Trumper Park. Rear of the Palms Tennis Courts, adjacent to the Council Nursery. Access is from Quarry Street.
Description: On 29 January 2008, Woollahra Council adopted the Community Garden Policy (PDF File) and the establishment of a Community Garden at Trumper Park. Council also agreed that the Community Garden will be managed by an Association for an initial one year period. Following this, Council will consider options to maintain continued use of the gardens.
Contact:http://www.paddingtoncommunitygarden.org.au/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/paddingtonCG
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paddington-Community-Garden/192766640335?ref=ts
Snailmail to: Paddington Community Garden, c/-130 Windsor Street, Paddington NSW 2021.
Download aerial view of Padddington Community Garden site.
Download Woollahra Council Community Garden Policy.
Waverley Community Garden
Location: Clementson Park, off Ebley Street, Bondi Junction.
Description: One of very few community gardens in Australia based on the UK allotment garden model, this is a council-managed garden in which Council licences plots to people over 18 years of age for a period up to two years who are living in the Waverley Council area who have little or no access to a garden and to special needs groups. A non-refundable fee of $55 is charged for individual and group annual plot licenses.
Contact: 02 9386 7925 | MeganF[at]waverley.nsw.gov.au
SYDNEY SOUTHSIDE
Carss Park
Location: 76 Carwar Avenue, Carss Park.
Description: Built on a disused bowling green in the Kogarah local government area, the community garden was opened in 2009. The garden was initiated by Kogarah City Council who commissioned a community consultation process to bring together a core group of gardeners and to produce community garden policy directions for Council.
The garden features both shared and allotment areas, water harvesting and storage in tanks for garden irrigation and a strawbale meeting room that is available for community use.
Contact:
http://communitygarden.org.au/one-year-later-a-community-garden
http://www.kogarah.nsw.gov.au/www/html/2478-carss-park-community-garden.asp
Bundeena Community Garden
Location: Bundeena Public School, 48R scarborough street, Bundeena
Description: the garden is locked and netted (we have lots of marauding deer, cockatoos and possums) and, like many if not all of the community gardens in sydney, operates according to organic principles. We hold working bees every Sunday afternoon, from 4-6pm during daylight saving hours and 3-5pm otherwise. All are welcome, and receive a share in the abundant harvest each week. Membership is $52 per annum.
We have recently completed a kindy gardening project with the school, in which the students joined us in the garden on a fortnightly basis during term 4 for a garden-related story, planting, watering and harvesting as well as observing changes in the temperature and rainfall. Over the years, many such projects have taken place, and we are pleased to have a great working relationship with the school.
Contact: Ms Sam Stott, M: 0412 677 016
SOUTH WESTERN SYDNEY
Liverpool area
Liverpool City Council’s Living Street project officer may be able to assist with enquiries abut community gardens in the area: 02 9821 7794 (Thursdays, Fridays) | 1300 36 2170
Dunbier Park Community Garden
Location: Nagle Street, Liverpool.
Hart Park Organic Community Garden and Orchard
Location: Hart Street, Warwick Farm.
Organic Community Garden and Orchard
Location: 60 Cabramatta Avenue, Miller.
Light Horse Park Community Garden
Location: Riverpark Drive, Liverpool.
The Living Garden
Corner Pirie and Speed Streets, Liverpool.
The Gathering Place
Location: 30 Green Valley Road, Busby.
Food 4 Life Organic community Garden
Location: 75 lawrence Hargrave Road, Warwick Farm.
WESTERN SYDNEY
Chester Hill Community Garden
Location: Chester Hill Community Centre, 89-91 Waldron Road, Chester Hill NSW.
Description: A project of Chester Hill Neighbourhood Centre (CHNC), the garden is managed by a Steering Committee of six members. The manager of CHNC is chairperson of the Committee.
- there are 20 gardeners
- there are individual plots and gardeners are asked to contribute times to the maintenance of the rest of the garden
- each gardener signs guidelines before ‘owning’ their plot.
- each person keeps their own produce.
Bankstown council assist with the promotion of the garden. No funding is received for the garden. Insurance is paid by CHNC. There are two tanks for water.
Contact: Manager, Chester Hill Neighbourhood Centre — 02 9645 3700; admin[at]chesonc.ngo.org.au; P.O. Box 446, Chester Hill 2162. www.chnc.org.au
Allotments at Chester Hill Community Garden.
NORTHSIDE
Coal Loader Community Garden
Location: 2 Balls Head Drive, Waverton.
Description: The Coal Loader Community Garden has been operating near Balls Head since 2007. It is a communal garden, without individual garden plots at this stage. Everything harvested from the garden is shared among the participants at the weekly meeting.
The garden is set in a former industrial site where coal was brought to be taken around Sydney and other parts of the state up until the early 1990s.
Participants in the Coal Loader Community Garden meet each Wednesday at 10am for about 2 hours.
Contact: http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/www/html/6494-community-gardens.asp
Milson Park Community Garden
Location: Milsons Park, Kirribilli.
Description: We work as a co-operative and we do not have allotments. Our garden is organic and we recycle food waste using the Japanese Bokashi system which we are turning into compost once it is fermented.
The garden design, based on research, is a medieval one which allows wheelchair access to 50% of the garden area. The raised beds help everyone be involved as they are 600mm in height.
Contact: milsoncommunitygarden[at]gmail.com
www.milsoncommunitygarden.org.au
http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/www/html/6494-community-gardens.asp
(proposed) Epping Community Garden
Contact: lcoates[at]els.mq.edu.au
Manly Vale Community Garden
Location: 4-8 Innes Road, Manly Vale. Adjacent to the Manly Vale Community Centre.
Description: Presently in formation.
Contact: mvcommunitygarden[at]gmail.com | http://www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/community/CommunityGarden.aspx
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(proposed) Manly Community Garden
A proposal to establish a community garden in Manly is currently underway following discussions between Manly Council and the Cancer Council.
Information: Manly Council 02 9976 1500 .
Macquarie University Community Garden Club
Location: corner of Talavera Road and Culloden Road, Marsfield NSW 2122
Description: a community garden on the Campus of the Macquarie University. A large site of some 3000 sq meter. Membership available to all students and staff at Macquarie University. Community members also able to join but with long waiting list. Currently about 60 members.Each members gets to manage their plot plot, also community plots as well. Working bees on the afternoon of the first Sunday of each month.
Contacts:
- markhall1[at]bigpond.com
- shairs[at]bigpond.net.au
Macquarie University Community Garden Club
Pittwater Community Garden
Location: Eastern end of Central Road.
Description:
Contact: info[at]pcg.org.au
Natalie Stevens, Acting Vice-President, Pittwater Community Gardens — 0415 221 239.
Turramurra Lookout Community Garden
Location: The Lookout Park, Pacific Highway, Turramurra.
Description; The Garden sits on a Council owned site on the Pacific Highway at Turramurra and is run by an active group of volunteer members.
It consists of 22 individual plots occupying around 1/3rd of the site and the balance is communal with a large food forest, and many other communal areas.
It is the first Community Garden in Ku-ring-gai and although established in late 2009, it really only became productive around August 2010.
Open: Working Bees are held each Saturday morning from 9am to noon and members meet bi-monthly on the 3rd Saturday of the month for a members forum.
Members are often at the garden during the week and Sunday afternoons.
Contact:
- John Dailey, President, on 0418 614491 or
- Anna Chub , Secretary on 0402656469
- www.tlcgarden.org.au
- www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/www/html/3403-community-garden.asp
Turramurra Lookout Community Garden
West Pymble Community Garden
West Pymble Community Garden
Willoughby Community Garden
Location: Warners Park, Northbridge.
Description: A council-managed community garden managed by Council volunteers.
Willoughby’s Community Garden group meets twice a month, on the first Saturday and third Sunday of the month between 9am and midday.
Contact: Mandy Wilson — 02 9777 7875 | http://www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Community-Garden.html
Download council’s community garden policy from above website.
July 27, 2010 at 6:45 am
Hello
I am trying to track examples of community gardens on private land
We are in Tasmania, and have been offered a portion of a private block, and want to see how others have managed to deal with use of land, ownership and mangement issues.
Kind regards,
Anna Lovitt
6381 3381 or 0429 430 388
August 11, 2010 at 2:24 am
any community inspired gardens in the mid north coast?
around Port Macquarie?
with Thanks
j
November 5, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Miss L Davies Town Farm Community Gardens – Exeter Street Camden, this garden is in the very early stages, we are in the process of building plots, the garden site was bequithed to the Camden Council as part of Miss L Davies estate.
People interested in this community garden should contact us by qkayaks(at)optusnet.com.au and we will reply with further information.
Regards Steve Cooper – Committee Member
November 5, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Name: Miss L Davies Town Farm Community Gardens
Location: Exeter Street Camden NSW – Part of the Town Farm
Details: Area covers approx 3acres, still in the very early stages we are establishing plots, ie setting them out, calls for interest are being put out.
More info will be supplied as we work through it.
Contact: Steve Cooper – Committee Member E:qkayaks(at)optusnet.com.au
ph 0410651549
February 15, 2011 at 10:35 pm
hi we live in the sutherland shire and would like to know if there is a community garden . or garden beds in the shire to grow our own vegetables . was a member of the dapto community gardens before moving to sydney
March 4, 2011 at 8:29 pm
Hi We live in the Campbelltown area and would like to know if there is a community garden’s or garden beds in the area . So we can grow our own vegetables. Thanks Michelle.
April 5, 2011 at 10:39 am
is it possible dear organic veggie people, to buy your produce? Where do we go? Arthur
July 21, 2011 at 5:31 pm
Hi Judy and Paul,
I think the closest community garden to the Shire area is in the St George area – Carss Park Community Garden on Carwar Avenue…it’s fairly new as far as I know.
August 15, 2011 at 12:51 am
Just wondering whether there are community gardens around hills area such as Winston Hill, Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Dural etc.?
Thx,
Loby
August 15, 2011 at 9:03 am
Thanks Michael, the website and contact details are here:
http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/recreation-and-facilities/major-parks/fagan-park-eco-garden
…Fiona
On 15/08/2011, at 8:34 AM, Neville, Michael wrote:
The eco-garden at Fagan Park near Dural is still going – I was there yesterday. Apparently it’s just had a bit of a revamp.
Michael
August 15, 2011 at 9:54 am
Hi All
Yes, Fagan Park Ecogarden is the closest thing Hornsby Shire has to a community garden. It’s a bit of a strange place for one – not many high-rise buildings out there! Permaculture Hornsby helped council out a few years ago when they were revamping it; we’re not involved anymore. I don’t think it’s run as a “normal” (whatever that means!) community garden… the best way to find out about it is to contact the Waste Education people in Hornsby Shire Council. I’m pretty sure Narelle Bowly still works there – her email address is most probably narelle.bowly@hornsby.nsw.gov.au, or else just ring up/ email council’s general number/ address and find out who to contact.
Good luck!
Lucinda
September 5, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Message from Tanya…
Hi,
I’m replying to the questions regarding the community garden at Dural.
Hornsby Council does run the Fagan Park Eco Garden at Galston.
I am currently the Eco Garden Officer and you are very welcome to get in contact;
tmein[at]hornsby.nsw.gov.au
0401 710 104 (Mon to Wed)
Thanks
Tanya Mein
Eco Garden Officer Mon – Wed | Hornsby Shire Council
http://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au
January 27, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Camden Community Garden coming along in leaps and bounds, set on a 155 acre property but occupying appprox 3 acres, the community gardens are an accessible garden, our new pathwork connecting our gardens with diability toilets is now in place, next stage for us is shelter, raised accesible beds, gardens are already running garden workshops.
Check out the garden blog for more details.
Happy Gardening.
Steve Cooper – Camden Council – Community Project Officer – Community Gardens
April 24, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Hi
We can supply free mulch to any of you Allotments in Sydney, please call Steve or Justin on 02 9975 4013
Kind Regards
Steve Parfitt