Catherine and Neil Tait are opening their gates to the public and all the proceeds will be donated to Regional Community Vet Clinic (RCVC). The gorgeous garden at ‘Stringy Bark Hill’ in McKenzie Hill (between Castlemaine and Muckleford) is offered as part of the Castlemaine and District Festival of Gardens and will be open from Saturday 2 to Sunday 10 November.
The Taits are both sculptors and have transformed the area around their home since 1982. “It’s been evolving since then,” Catherine says. “When we first came here it was very desolate and we’ve built it up over time. We’re passionate about keeping the garden in natural bush, and we’ve integrated our sculptures into the garden.”
Catherine and Neil are also passionate about supporting RCVC, which is the first Not-for-Profit veterinary clinic in regional Victoria, run exclusively by volunteers. Once it opens, RCVC’s clinic will provide veterinary care, at cost, to regional Victorians who are the recipients of a full government support pension. RCVC was founded on the basis that pets play a vital role in the health and happiness of their owners. Catherine says that volunteers from the RCVC will be at Stringy Bark Hill during the Festival of Gardens. “The vet clinic will help us, we’ll have doggie treats and we’ll have a raffle too, for one of Neil’s metal rose pillars,” she says. Her art studio will also be open for viewing as part of the experience for visitors, in keeping with the festival’s 2024 theme: ‘The Art of Gardening.’
The Taits are delighted to be able to support a worthy course like the RCVC. Their garden is open 10am to 4pm during the Festival of Gardens at 1761 Pyrenees Highway, McKenzie Hill (enter via Willy Milly Road). Entry is $5 per adult, children free. For more information see: festivalofgardens.org and rcvc.org.au.
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 1 November 2024.
