2010 - Brisbane

HRIAI Tenth National Conference

‘The Subtropics: Rainforest to Roses’
Brisbane, Queensland
From Tuesday, 5 October to Friday, 8 October 2010 

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CONFERENCE

Delegates were treated to a spectacular sunset created by a thunderstorm at the 'Meet and Greet' on Monday night 4 October.  Friends and acquaintances kissing and hugging, with much hand shaking and back slapping by the men.  At 7.30am the two coaches departed Toowong every day for our garden tour to the Sunshine Coast hinterland village of Montville, Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens and New Farm Park in Brisbane, up the range to Toowoomba, the largest regional inland city in Australia, then finally to the Gold Coast hinterland area of Mt Tamborine. 

Our two speakers, Maurice Wilson speaking about the history of the Queensland garden and Penny McKinlay recounting her experiences as a nursery owner and radio talk back broadcaster, entertained the audience.  Some said that they hadn't laughed so much in a long time.

The gardens were superb, flowering on cue, the weather behaving itself until the afternoon on the mountain at Mt Tamborine.  Everyone had their favourite garden, some the country acreage gardens, for others the city houseblocks filled with roses and other plants unfamiliar to the delegates.  Cameras and biros were used extensively to record what they saw.  There were discussions about the correct name of some roses, the garden owners appreciating the expertise of various delegates.

The garden tour finished with High Tea at the historic St Bernard's Hotel on Mt Tamborine, where a group of rose aproned Brisbane Region members served drinks to all the delegates.  A wonderful finale!