Patrick Taylor precinct park
The Albany Historical Society is delighted that it has been successful in securing funding from the Federal Department of the Environment, Heritage and the Arts in the amount of $121,000 under the Department of the Environment Jobs Fund Grants Programme.
Funding was announced on 19 June 2009 by the Federal Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, and Senator for Western Australia, Glenn Sterle. The programme is designed to help stimulate development during the current difficult economic climate, one of the main aims being to help with the training and development of job seekers in rural and regional areas of Australia.
The Albany Historical Society has a long-held ambition to beautify and enhance the area surrounding Patrick Taylor Cottage, the oldest dwelling in Western Australia c1832. The grant will enable the Society to see this ambition come to fruition. Senator Sterle congratulated the Society, as owners of the site, and welcomed the funding as an important investment in the Albany community.
It is our understanding that the Albany Historical Society is the only historical society nationally to have been awarded funding for a project of this type in Round 1 of this Grant Allocation. The Society wishes to convey its deepest appreciation to the Department of Environment, Heritage and the Arts and also to the Minister, the Hon Peter Garrett.
The objective of the Society is to design and install a recreational botanical park adjacent to Patrick Taylor Cottage and the Albany Historical Society’s administration offices in Duke Street, Albany, and to further enhance the English country garden that currently exists at Patrick Taylor Cottage.
The Society has engaged the services of local company, Creative Landscapes, to undertake and manage this project, which will include endemic species including an aboriginal bush tucker garden.
This project will not only be of benefit to the Albany Historical Society but also locals and visitors to Albany alike.
Pictorial progress report
Below is a pictorial progress report of the project from its commencement in late June 2009, which will be updated as time goes by.