North Sydney has nine innovative community gardens where people come together to grow food and build a stronger community. These green spaces are open to all.
Find out more about each community garden below
- Anzac Park Community Garden
Location: Anzac Park, corner of Ernest and Anzac Avenue, Cammeray.
Email: council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
About the garden
Anzac Park community garden brings locals and visitors together to grow fruit and vegetables in a spectacular location. This large garden boasts 13 raised vegetable beds and four perennial herb beds, all surrounded by fruit trees, bushes and vines. Its large composting facility recycles all the green waste from the site, returning it to the garden beds as compost.
The garden design represents the Australian Army’s Rising Sun badge. Seven sword beds are 80cm high and six bayonet beds are 60cm high. This encourages gardeners of all sizes to get involved. The four large herb beds are constructed from concrete-filled sandbags to provide casual seating.
The gardeners grow seasonal fruit and vegetables using organic gardening methods. By using soaps, oils and cultured bacteria, no chemicals are used in the production of food.
The garden is farmed as whole with no individual or allotment beds. The garden group is split into four smaller groups: watering, fertilising, pest control and seed sowing. Members can learn and master the gardening tasks in small parts before they move to the next group to learn new skills. The watering, fertilising and pest control groups have a weekday roster. This structure accommodates members who can’t make it on weekends, but who wish to still be involved.
The group is diverse and inclusive, with members of varied ages, backgrounds and cultures. Members often attend as families, with many children helping and learning along the way.
Anzac Park is an off-leash dog park. While dogs are not encouraged within the gates of the garden, many members bring their dogs along to play in the park by the garden.
The garden has cooking facilities. Fruit and vegetables are harvested, cooked and shared during the weekend working bees.
All produce from the garden is for the use by members only. Feel free to come in and have a look around, but don’t pick anything before joining up.
Meeting
Volunteers meet every Saturday morning
How to join
Email council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
Membership is free and basic tools and sprays are provided.
- The Coal Loader Aquaponics Project
The aquaponics project occupies two of the raised beds on the Coal Loader Platform. Every day dedicated volunteers feed the fish, tend the plants, and record various measurements needed to maintain and understand a healthy working system. There is no charge to become a member and comprehensive training is provided.
Contact:council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
- The Coal Loader Cottage Community Garden
Meetings: Tuesday and Wednesday mornings
This is an organic communal garden where tasks are divided amongst the group and crops are harvested and shared among the participants each week. There are raised beds of various heights making gardening easy for many age groups and abilities. There is no charge to become a member and basic tools and supplies are provided.
There is an additional opportunity to work with the Coal Loader chickens at the Cottage Community Garden. Working on a roster basis, each morning and night volunteers care for the chickens and share the eggs they lay. There is no charge to become a member and comprehensive training is provided.
Contact: coalloadercommunitygarden@gmail.com
- The Coal Loader Platform Allotment Gardens
Members of this program rent a bed from Council for a small annual fee. Gardeners sow, grow and harvest their own organic produce. Plants must be edible (or companion planting) and grown organically. Gardeners are welcome to work in the garden at any time.
To join the waitlist for a plot, enter your details here.
- The Coal Loader Platform Community Garden
Meetings: Saturday mornings
This is an organic communal garden where tasks are divided amongst the group and crops are harvested and shared among the participants each week. The self-watering wicking beds are raised to workbench height, learning towers are provided for our younger members. There is no charge to become a member and basic tools, and sprays, are provided.
Contact: council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
- Forsyth Park Community Garden
Location: Montpelier Street, Neutral Bay
Time: Sundays from 10am
Email: bfxsymons@bigpond.com
Website: www.facebook.com/ForsythParkCommunityGarden
About the garden
The Forsyth Park community garden is a project driven by the passion of local residents. Situated atop the now disused oil tanks at the north end of Forsyth Park, it provides impressive views of the city and North Sydney's skyline. The garden is constructed from recyclable materials for longevity and sustainability. The garden radiates out from an existing Port Jackson fig tree and sits perched among a canopy of Eucalyptus growing up from the park below. It's a fantastic spot for a picnic so bring your family along.
The garden has a mix of fruit and vegetables, perennials and annuals. Many are cultivated from seed in a dedicated nursery. Everybody helps plant the entire garden and shares in the harvest.
Community partnerships
The gardening team fosters a spirit of inclusion. It has formed partnerships with local schools, teaching kids about the rewarding nature of gardening. If you'd like to organise a formal visit for your local school, community group or team, let us know.
How to join
The team has more than 50 gardeners and everyone is welcome to join. There’s no cost, except your time.
Email bfxsymons@bigpond.com
Meet at the garden on Sunday mornings from 10am. After joining, gardeners are welcome to work in the garden at any time.
- Kurraba Point Community Garden
Location: At the rear of 141 Kurraba Road, Kurraba Point
Time: First Saturday of the month from 9.30am to 11.30am
Contact: Streets Alive coordinator on (02) 9936 8283
Website: www.facebook.com/KurrabaGarden
About the garden
Come and enjoy the beauty of a semi-formal garden with a wonderful view of Neutral Bay. Join our group of gardeners and produce fresh herbs and vegetables for your table.
The garden is located to the side of the path that leads from Kurraba Road to the Kurraba Point Reserve. The layout is full of symbolism. When you visit, look for the purple infinity sign above a red heart. Down the hill, there’s a mauve serpent and the sun and the moon – or is it an eye and an eyebrow? In the shadows, there’s a small gully with luscious green plants and a winter garden seat where you can soak up the winter sun. On the other side of the path, there’s a summer seat where you can enjoy views of Neutral Bay in cool shade.
The garden group holds a working bee and meeting on the first Saturday of the month from 9.30am to 11.30am. The group weeds, sows seeds, plants seedlings, harvests the crop and makes decisions about the future of the garden.
How to join
Contact the Streets Alive coordinator on (02) 9936 8283
- Little Young Street Community Garden
Location: Little Young Street, Cammeray
Time: Saturdays from 9am to 12pm
Email: council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au
About the garden
Located above Brightmore Reserve, this is an ideal place for fellow gardeners to share a green thumb.
The garden is organised by local residents and consists of raised communal beds, composting bays and propagation beds. A mixture of fruit and vegetables, perennials and annuals are grown throughout the year and harvested at the end of each working bee.
Volunteers can learn about gardening techniques such as composting, propagation, pruning and growing edible produce. The open park and surrounding bushland walks make this a perfect place to visit all year round.
How to join
Email council@northsydney.nsw.gov.au or simply turn up on the day. Everyone is welcome.
- Milson Community Garden
Location: McDougall Street, Kirribilli
Time: Sunday from 10am
Email: milsongardensydney@gmail.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/milsoncommunitygarden/
Milson community garden works as a cooperative and doesn’t have individual allotments.
With a casual approach, harvesting is done by those volunteers who work in the garden and shared among the participants each week. We have a harmonious group of volunteers from diverse cultural heritage across generations. The raised beds are 60cm in height so you can be seated or a small child can garden with accompanying adult.
The timber beds were designed and constructed locally, and the timber is a sustainable Australian native hardwood.
How to join
To become a member visit the garden during a regular working bee between 10am and 12pm on Sundays, then you can complete Council’s volunteer application form online.
