Background to the Project
Over the years there has been much conversation about creating communal productive gardens centrally within White Gum Valley (WGV), and the idea was raised at several Precinct meetings. When the Fremantle Council PlaySpace Strategy was discussed at the April, June and August 2013 Precinct meetings, residents saw the opportunity for changing the use of the parkland alongside the Hazel Orme Kindergarten (HOK), into a productive orchard. Many of these residents are also members of the WGV Playgroup that has been looking for a permanent home for almost 20 years.
These conversations brought the two ideas together – a perennial productive garden with a permanent home base for WGV Playgroup.
Support was sought and gained from a significant number of WGV residents, Hazel Orme Kindergarten, neighbours to the site and adjacent Italian Retirement Village. The White Gum Valley Orchard Project had begun.
In February 2014 the Orchard Committee submitted a Feasibility Plan to City of Fremantle and a grant application to the WA government. Both proposals are currently under review. In May soil testing is being undertaken by the City of Fremantle as part of assessing the site’s suitability.
In July 2014 we submitted an updated Feasibility Plan with additional detail requested by the City of Fremantle management. In September we got approval conditional with a successful first AGM. In October our first management committee of 8 was elected and we signed a 5 year site licence with the City of Fremantle shortly after.
In November 2014 we had a public launch of the orchard – our Spring Jam – with a Noongar welcome to country ceremony and the ceremonial planting of the first 3 fruit trees – a pomelo, lemon and a hakea (bush tucker for the birds).
Our Concept Plan
Anyone ever tried a fruit from the Davidson’s Plum?! We look forward to tasting well-loved and exotic like white sapotes, mangoes, midyim berries, plums, macadamias…to name but a few of the many fruits and nuts we are now growing in the orchard. We have started to turn our dream into reality of community harvests and culinary gatherings centred on the produce we grow or within the neighbourhood.
In January 2015, our skilled orchard member Zoe Williamson, led a workshop with the committee and interested members to design the placement of all our future trees according to sun, water and space requirements. The resulting concept plan isn’t set in stone though. Our tree list will change over time as we learn more from each other and the saplings’ success or otherwise.
In October 2016 we planted our citrus grove and this marked a significant point in the establishment of the orchard, with the majority of trees now in the ground. In the summer of 2016-17 the first harvests began with bananas and tamarillos. The lilly pillies and icecream bean were next.
We have been successful with two Federal Government Stronger Communities grants in 2016 and 2019/20 to co-fund our two built structures onsite – our glorious shed and picnic shelter.
In 2022 with some City of Fremantle grant funding, we extended our path to enable good accessibility to and through the orchard. We also installed a custom-designed tuart slab seat for a peaceful sit under the banana palms.
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