Basil’s a sage of community gardens

Since April last year, Ms Alexander and Mr Natoli have worked on a Kitchen Garden at Collingwood College program which provides tasty herbs, fruits and vegetables for the tables of school children—many of whom live on the high-rise estates in the area.

Ms Alexander and Collingwood College teacher Chris Lattin nominated Mr Natoli for Australia’s Centenary of Federation Peoplescape project.

Peoplescape resulted in an exhibition of life-sized, person-shaped cut-outs installed in rows covering the expansive lawns of Federation Mall and the slopes of Parliament House in Canberra.

Mr Natoli was one of thousands of Australians nominated for their contribution to the community and the country.

The cut-outs were decorated to signify the personalities and achievements of nominees and their stories were published to celebrate their courage, loyalty, perseverance, generosity, innovation or humour.

Fittingly, Mr Natoli’s cut-out was covered with pictures of the fruit, vegetables and other plants grown in the community gardens for which Mr Natoli has become famous.

The cut-out also featured photographs of children involved in the community gardens projects, including patients from the Royal Children’s Hospital where a Basil Natoli garden encourages children to nurture and grow plants.

Nominating Mr Natoli for Peoplescape, Ms Alexander described him as a champion of the community garden.

‘For more than 10 years, Basil has worked tirelessly to assist low-income and migrant communities—in particular public housing tenants—to create and benefit from the establishment of community gardens in their area.

‘Through his work with Cultivating Community between 1991 and 1999 Basil successfully built up thriving community gardens in the Melbourne suburbs of Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond.

‘During this time he studied Vietnamese to communicate more easily with the enthusiastic gardeners he brought together,’ Ms Alexander said.

Mr Natoli was appointed to oversee the Office of Housing Community Gardens Project in 1999.

‘The Department’s ongoing support has enabled Basil to promote the community gardens program across the public housing sector in Melbourne—not just in a few inner-city suburbs—and into schools.

‘For many urban children, there is no way they can relate the food they see in bottles, packets and jars with soil, sunshine ripeness and a satisfying activity,’ Ms Alexander said.

‘Basil’s vision is to see similar gardens established across Victoria and, in particular, to take the gardens one step further by encouraging children not only to be involved in the planting and harvesting of produce but also in the cooking and sharing of it.’

Ms Lattin said Basil’s work had not just helped develop an array of wonderful plants and gardens but had also promoted a sense of community among the people of Collingwood.

‘The gardens have provided children and adults with a source of personal satisfaction, achievement and pride, as well as an outlet for social isolation.

‘They are an example of multi-racial co-operation with people of different cultural backgrounds toiling the soil side by side and sharing the passion for gardening,’ Ms Lattin said.