Ross Lake and Helen Vivian established the Mallee Sky-Garden in 2015 on a 10 acre disused vineyard. As the garden has grown and expanded to its current 30 acres, it has become a home for many rare and endangered native plants and a haven for wildlife, as well as the site for a proposed Buddhist Temple, the Sky Temple, Mildura. A trust is being established to ensure the sustainability of the Sky Garden in the future. The objectives of the Sky Garden Pty Ltd are:
- To create a place of natural beauty to contemplate, learn about and enjoy nature;
- To preserve endangered native flora of Australia and the Mallee region;
- To create a place of natural beauty to contemplate, learn about and enjoy nature;
- To preserve endangered native flora of Australia and the Mallee region;
- To introduce people to the diversity and beauty of our native plants;
- To inspire people to include a broader range of native plants within their own gardens;
- To provide access to a wide diversity of rare and endangered plants to inspire the further
study of the ecology of this region; and - To inspire artists, musicians and writers to engage with the Mallee region.
Rare Banksias, Eucalyptus and Eremophila, and many other species from all over Australia, can be viewed easily along the Sky Garden’s meandering paths. Special attention has been paid to endangered local plants including the Murray Pine and Bellah community which is endemic to this area.
Re-wilding the Mallee is like re-writing the history of this landscape backwards. First, we erase the lines of orchard and vines etched into the surface layer. Then a voyage of discovery begins, starting with native grasses, and a sheltering ring of trees. Along the way the eye learns the subtle beauty of indigenous plants like Stipa elegantissima, Pycnosorus globosus, Eremophila species and the splendid array of mallee eucalypts, which Paul Carter describes as resembling corals more closely than trees.
Garden Design
At the centre of the garden is a small mixed orchard, in honour of the preceding horticultural land use and the highly diverse, local multicultural community. Its manicured lines are punctuated by a border of pencil pines (for the Italian community), roses (for the English) and iris (for the many other European immigrants who have settled here). The rich colours and formal design create a strong contrast to the softness of the native garden.
The marriage of these elements was envisaged by landscape designer Cath Stutterheim, as a pair of interlocking hands which bring together indigenous and horticultural elements in a carefully considered contrast of texture and form.
In less than 200 years so much change has been wrought in this landscape. The remoteness of this location has not been enough to protect it. Trying to understand what was here prior to European settlement has been a fascinating journey, but the questions may never be answered completely. The heroic botanist and explorer, Ferdinand von Mueller, who visited the area in 1851 and 1853, commented that it was already a vastly changed landscape.

