The Friends are delighted with the success of the petition signing held in the HV McKay Memorial Gardens this weekend. So many residents took the time to come to the Gardens to sign petitions that we have at least 450 signatures (we haven’t finished the count yet!).
We enjoyed meeting lots of locals; hearing their stories; helping them to understand the impacts of the RRL proposal and watching how people use the connection between Albion, the Gardens and Sunshine.
Some of the highlights were:
- Meeting David, who used to live in the Gardens (in the old gardener’s cottage) in the 1970’s – and paid 10 cents a week rent!
- the number of residents who were born and bred in the area and are still here 30, 40 or 50 years later!
- at least 10 people told us they were born in King Edward Avenue (the hospital used to be there)
- hearing peoples stories about enjoying the Gardens over the last 40 years.
The story we heard about the gardeners in the 60’s finding flattened chrysanthemums in the Gardens after couples had frolicked in them can’t be confirmed!
Stay tuned for more info on future events!
