Page 45 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q1

instead to create an arboretum—what is now known Top to bottom; The backyard
as the National Arboretum Canberra, incorporating of the caretaker’s cottage,
the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection. Commonwealth Park, 2008
The Koreshoff pines arrive,
At the core of the National Collection is the partner- 2008
ship of the Arboretum (the ACT Government) and Opening ceremony, 2008
the bonsai community across the nation. The com- Visitors enjoying the
munity provides the trees, either as loans or as dona- Collection, 2008
tions, and the Arboretum provides the infrastructure
and the permanent staff. Without both sides of the
partnership, there could be no ‘national collection’ of
the quality that Australia now can be ever so proud.
There is no other venue in Australia where the best
trees being produced are on permanent public display
to such a large and diverse audience.
This community-government partnership was per-
fectly symbolized at the official opening of the Collec-
tion when the ceremonial ribbon was jointly cut by the
Chief Minister of the ACT, Mr. Jon Stanhope and the
chairman of the Bonsai Management Committee, Dr.
Roger Hnatiuk (see photograph bottom right).
The National Arboretum Canberra is principally
funded by the ACT Government, but this was supple-
mented with a gift from the Australian Government
to mark Canberra’s centenary. On 2 February 2013,
in Canberra’s centennial year, the Collection opened
at its new and permanent home atop a hill with com-
manding views across Canberra and Lake Burley
Griffin. Being adjacent to the Village Centre, it oc-
cupies a central and easily accessible space within the
Arboretum. A new era in the Collection’s journey, and
indeed for bonsai in Australia, was just beginning.
In the first nine months of operation, the Collection
has welcomed over 400,000 visitors—close to 1,350
per day on average. The visitor numbers have placed
a very welcome burden on the local bonsai commu-
nity, with volunteers now needed to cover three shifts
every day—one in the morning, one in the afternoon
and a new one in the middle of the day overlapping
the morning and afternoon shifts. This is in addition
to the need for a suitably trained and experienced
person to be on hand all day. Many of these all-day
shifts are also filled by volunteers from the local bon-
sai community. In all, volunteers give the Collection
around 95 hours of their time each week. Without
that side of the partnership the Collection simply
could not function.
Equally important as assisting the visitors, is the Col-
lection’s educational role. This is clearly reflected in
its goals:
The National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Aus-
tralia displays, for public enjoyment and education,
a collection of high-quality bonsai and penjing rep-
resenting the diversity of styles amongst Australian
artists.
Based on comments made by the visitors, their expe-
rience in the new location is as fulfilling as it was in
Commonwealth Park.

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