Max Bourke and Lainie Lawson ‘Looking after a lost bit of Australia: Montague Island.’

Montague Island, 9 km off the south coast was an extension of Cape Dromedary until around 10 – 12K years ago. When the waters rose it was still for most of that time of great significance to the indigenous people of the south coast. Since white fellas arrived it has had a mixed time with invasives; both plant and animal. This talk will look at the current conservation work on the vegetable garden of the light-keepers and the ongoing battle with the weeds.

Max Bourke AM is a member of the Thursday Talks Committee of FANBG. He trained and worked as an agricultural scientist though later studied art history and did a diploma in conservation in Europe. He spent many years in the public sector though the last 10 years of his working life was spent developing a large scale farming business. Now he is a chronic volunteer.

Elaine Lawson is a heritage consultant and former senior curator of historic places in the ACT, including Lanyon, Calthorpes House, and Mugga-Mugga. In recent years she has been actively involved in Open Gardens Australia, the Council of the Australiana Fund, Historic Houses Trust of NSW and the Official Establishments Trust, and the Australian Garden History Society. Gardens and houses have always been part of her life.