For many Australians – including a large cross-section of Ballarat locals – access to a backyard and the delicious treats growing within it simply doesn’t exist.

Yet, a group of Ballarat green thumbs are proving that anyone can have access to their own vegetable plot and the fresh delights it supplies. 

Spruiking the endless physical and mental health benefits of growing your own fresh produce, the Ballarat Community Garden is at capacity - and for good reason. 

Nestled on a large parcel of land which was formerly a school playground, the garden and its more than 75 plots are nurtured by a group of passionate people, including professionals, the unemployed, old and young. 

One of the garden’s founders and current committee chairperson Sheilagh Kentish says the space is more than just a garden. 

“While anyone is able to have their own plot and grow their own produce here, the benefits are much more than just access to cheap, nutritious, chemical- free vegetables,” Ms Kentish says.

 “We’ve had individuals who have really developed as people throughout their time here.

“People who have suffered serious crisis have completely transformed through the support and welcoming they received here.”

Ms Kentish describes the garden as a form of therapy for the more than 100 people who use it.

“It’s a healing place and really something quite beautiful,” she says. 

Started in 2004 and modelled on the many successful community gardens throughout Melbourne and Australia, the Ballarat Community Garden occupies land owned by both Ballarat City Council and VicTrack on the corner of Queen Street and Dyte Parade. 

Through council support – including grants for sheds and tools – the garden further survives with the efforts of its members.

A series of working bees are held throughout the year, plus sausage sizzles and donations to keep the garden growing. 

While the wait for a plot is currently around the four-month mark, those lucky enough to already be turning their own patch of earth pay either $40 per year (for unemployed members) or $50 (for those employed).

“We make sure that anyone is able to have a plot,” Ms Kentish says. 

“Even if they can’t pay upfront, we make sure people can pay via instalments and the like.”

Currently thriving with winter vegetables including silverbeet, cabbage, broad beans and endless supplies of rhubarb, each plot has its own quirks and characteristics. 

Members are welcome to add not just vegies to the soil, but decorative aspects including scarecrows and letterboxes. 

Turning her current patch of onions, garlic and potatoes, three-year member Gayleen Rooney says she turned to the community garden when Victoria was suffering through drought. 

“I love growing my own food and always have done,” Ms Rooney says. 

“But, at the time, we simply couldn’t because we didn’t have the water to make things grow.”

Ms Rooney put her name on the waiting list and, within months, was getting set for her first harvest, making use of the community garden’s tank water.  

She says while the best part of the community garden is knowing where your food comes from, equally rewarding is the interaction with people throughout the community. 

“People need to learn how to eat more fresh food, but not everyone can afford it,” Ms Rooney says.

 “It’s systems like this that make it possible for anyone.”

Tracing back to 18th century Britain, when landowners set aside plots of land to enable the poor to produce their own vegetables, community gardens have become a vital part of modern cities. 

While populations continue to grow and people are forced into smaller housing options, often with no backyard, the concept has never been more important. 

“A lot of our members live in flats or units with no garden space at all, while some people are unemployed and this is the only access they have to fresh vegetables,” Ms Kentish says. 

Playing host to schools and other groups looking to learn about food production and skills – including composting and recycling – the garden has, in the past, offered an outlet for children with disabilities. 

City of Ballarat mayor and Ballarat Specialist School principal John Burt said it was through insight gained at the Ballarat Community Garden that they had developed their own plot at the school. 

“The response from our students when they attended the community garden was really something special,” Cr Burt says. 

“What that group of people are doing is remarkable.”

Cr Burt said it was through gardening and “all things horticulture” that people learnt valuable life skills.

“To witness a child realise that something they thought came from a supermarket shelf actually came from the ground is invaluable,” he says.

“No one can teach that through regular teaching.”

Ms Kentish says she is on the lookout for more areas to house community gardens and says the need for such gardens will only continue to grow. 

“Our garden enhances the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing needed to build healthy communities,” she says. 

“If the beautiful fresh food wasn’t enough, all these things make it a very special place.”

The Ballarat Community Garden welcomes all to join and encourages anyone interested in getting involved to visit www.ballaratcommunitygarden.org.au