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Knox Community Gardens

History of the Knox Community Gardens Society Incorporated Dinsdale Public Park and Recreation Reserve, 254 Scoresby Rd Boronia This space was originally Bunurong Territory, occupied by the Mayone Belluk tribe. Land Titles show that local land was occupied by the Dinsdale family and that E. Dinsdale, donated a portion of that allotment on either side of Blind Creek to the Crown. 1/10/80 7.128 hectares was separated from the Knoxfield Horticultural Research Station Reserve and detailed as Crown allotment 40B Parish of Scoresby, Certified Plan No. 104657. 23/4/81 The Governor of Victoria, in the Victorian Gazette, proclaimed under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978, s. 4 and s.7, that those 7.128 hectares, be permanently reserved for Park and Recreation. The State government passed the management, but not ownership, of this parcel of Crown Land to Knox Council. 9/2/82 Knox Council resolved “That the Crown Reserve that was formally part of Knoxfield Horticultural Research Station and now under management of the Council, be named Dinsdale Public Park and Recreation Reserve. That name was gazetted on 9/1/85. 12/6/84 Knox City’s Landscape Architect, Mr Dick Dare announced:- “the gardens will allow residents in flats and small units without room to grow produce, to enjoy a pleasurable pastime. One of the principal themes of these gardens is to give Knox citizens a chance to take part in educational experiences in horticulture associated with vines, fruit and vegetables”. Knox Sherbrooke News 1/7/84 A Commonwealth Employment Program was established to create a vineyard, orchard and community garden and to provide horticultural employment and training. 1/10/84 Knox Community Garden was established as a co-operative and 62 plots allocated. 20/1/92 Knox Community Gardens Society Incorporated, A 0024404K, was registered with Corporate Affairs Victoria, under the Association Incorporation Act 1981, replacing the previous Co-operative structure. The Society is governed by a registered constitution and By-laws. It is a Not for Profit organisation. Knox Council delegated management of the operation of the Community Garden and orchards to an elected Committee of Management, composed of members of the Society. 2/11/05 Following Swinburne University advising that it would no longer lease any of the vineyard, Knox Council called for and received Expressions of Interest for its management. 12/6/2006 The Society’s lease was adjusted to formally include the 11 rows of grapevines that it had been previously managing, (between the two sections of community plots). Most of the vineyard was leased to a private company, who then operated a cellar door operation under a Vignerons Licence until 2016. Today There are nearly 200 members of the Society, most of whom involve their family in the Community Gardening lifestyle. We have an extensive orchard, 150 various sized plots and raised beds, enjoyed by local residents and the Dandenong Ranges Special School. The site and facilities, such as undercover tables and benches, toilets and mini library is open to the public every day. The Society regularly hosts a variety of Community Workshops, Food Swaps and group tours. The combined site, together with its surrounds provides significant local biodiversity. The southern and south eastern border provides the overflow retardation for Blind Creek with significant habitat trees and remnant indigenous vegetation. In 2011 the site was assessed as Category 3 in the, “Gardens for Wildlife Scheme”.