The Sydney Hills Garden Competition 2023 - Awards Night

Sydney Hills Gardening Competition 2023-

An Orange Blossom Event

Awards Event and Results

 

 

 

The first Garden competition ran in 1959 as the brainchild of Councillor Eric Mobbs. It became the forerunner of the Orange Blossom Festival, so has a significant place in the cultural history of “The Garden Shire” and continues to be supported by The Hills Shire Council as part of that Festival.

Thank you to all the gardeners who entered this year`s competition and to our judges and sponsors without whom the competition would not happen.  

 

 The culmination of the competition was the Awards Presentation night held at the Harvey Lowe Pavilion, Castle Hill Showground on the 22nd September. This event was well attended by over 100  entrants, supporters, dignitaries, judges and the organisers. We thank the Hon Mark Hodges MP member for Castle Hill, The Hills Mayor Dr Peter Gangemi and Hills Shire Deputy Mayor Mitchell Blue for attending the event and their remarks and their assistance with the Prize giving. We also thank our judges, Ross Miller and Chris Brown for not only judging the competition but giving us their insights into their impressions of the gardens.   

Awards were presented to the first three place-getters in each category and these are detailed in the results summary below. Following this two special awards were presented being: 

 

George Mobbs Award for Excellence in Gardening-  Danuta Szczypior(presented by George Mobbs grand-daughter, Felicity McCaffrey))

Champion of Champions-  Paul and Margaret Gaudry Presented by  Ross Miller)

Other Results:

Category

First

Second

Third

1A ( 4 )

Small Residential Garden Owner Maintained

 

 

Danuta Szczypior

 

Valentino Bombardiere

 

Greg Silcock

1B ( 1 )

Large Residential Garden Owner Maintained

 

 

Jim Anderson

 

 

 

 

1C ( 2 )

Residential Garden Professionally Maintained

 

Paul & Margaret Gaudry

 

J & D Drummond

 

1D ( 8 )

Residential Front or Back Garden Owner Maintained

 

Danuta Szczypior

 

Jeff & Jennifer Depares

 

Neil Campton

2 ( 3 )

New Garden - Owner Maintained

 

 

Jeff & Jennifer Depares

 

Jenny St George

 

Barbara Horner

3 ( 3 )

Townhouse, Villa or Courtyard Garden Owner Maintained

 

Kay & Bob Smith

 

Ron Perrau

 

Terry Byrne

4A ( 7 ) Senior Citizen’s Entire Garden

 

 

Jim Anderson

 

Bob & Dot Butler

 

Valentino Bombardiere

4B ( 6 )

Senior Citizen’s

Front or Back Garden

 

Denis & Jennie Fleming

 

 

Ian & Diana Gilmour

 

Pauline Ryan

4C ( 4 )

Senior Citizen’s Townhouse or Courtyard Garden

 

Kay & Bob Smith

 

Ron Perrau

 

Dot Farlow

4D ( 21 )

Senior Citizen’s Garden in a Retirement complex

 

Jan Callagher

 

Ann & Bob Flegg

 

Suzanne Brown

5 ( 4 )

Strata or Community Title Property Professionally Maintained

 

Macarthur
Ridge, Bella Vista

 

The Pointe, Bella Vista

 

The Lakes, Bella Vista

6 ( 4 )

Good Neighbour Gardens

 

 

 

Bob & Dot Butler

Ray & Lisa Marshall

Aaron Kiddle

Bryce Florence

 

Barbara Amor

John Stunnell

Neil & Merran Manning

Susanne Waesch & Gary Wellard

Irene & Grant Fisher

Betty Murray

Hazell Mackness

Elwyn Harding

 

 

Judy Auerswald

Bill & Sandra Smith

 

7 A ( 5 )

Specialty Gardens and features

 

 

Living Choice Community & Vegetable Garden

 

Jenny St George

 

Denis & Jennie Fleming

7 B

Communal or Community Garden

 

 

Aminya Village

 

Endeavour Foundation

 

Community Environment Centre, Annangrove

7 C

Environmentally Friendly Garden

 

Community Environment Centre, Annangrove

 

 

8 ( 3 )

Industrial, Commercial or Institution Garden

 

Living Choice Glenhaven

 

The Willows Retirement Village

 

Mowll Village

9A

Primary School Gardens Student Maintained

 

Kellyville Public School

 

Our Lady of The Angels Primary School

 

9C

School Gardens Maintained by Staff

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the conclusion of the presentations  a  light supper was provided by the Inner Wheel Clubs of Baulkham Hills and Norwest, and we would thank the ladies from those Clubs for their efforts. This also provided a good opportunity for all those present to meet with old friends and new.

Our thanks to the generous sponsors of the event, including The Hills Shire Council, Plants Plus Nursery, West Pennant Hills. 

  The Rotary Club of the Hills-Kellyville has had a long association with gardeners in The Hills, having run the Garden Competition since early 2000’s and the Hills Open Gardens. The Club proudly opened a Community Garden in March 2021 to mark the 100th year of Rotary in Australia. All the garden plots were quickly snapped up by keen gardeners and planting began. Within weeks it became a vegetable oasis amidst apartment blocks right in the centre of Baulkham Hills. The Rotary Club of the Hills-Kellyville established and built this garden for the community in conjunction with the Hills Shire Council. Other works of the Club include local community events and the raising of funds for numerous programs far and wide, from the Hills area to outback Australia to overseas communities with specific needs. To be part of an inspired group that are making a difference, contact the club through this website or Facebook page.