THE INTERFAITH GARDEN - Canberra Interfaith Forum

This Environment Garden is located on a one-hectare site just east of Clare Holland House (ACT Hospice), Menindee Drive, Barton, ACT at the eastern extremity of Grevillea Park. The Canberra Interfaith Forum (CIF) established the Garden in 2011 after 4 years of effort to:

Symbolise our commitment to respect, protect and conserve the natural environment.
Provide a venue where we could meet and meditate on and deepen our connection with the environment;
Deepen our harmonious relationships and promote healing and reconciliation with each other, including the Indigenous community;
Strengthen mutual bonds and understanding by working together on garden maintenance;
Provide a facility where visitors to the ACT Hospice and volunteers working there could rest peacefully in nature.

The Garden was formally launched by Ms Mary Porter AM MLA, representing the ACT Chief Minister, in May 2011. An attractive Plaque, listing the 12 spiritual traditions of CIF and 8 cooperating organisations, is placed at the upper side of the garden-bed.

CIF has organised several gatherings on the Garden site, on environmental, peace and social justice issues. A workshop was held in April 2013 for over 30 members of youth groups of different faith and multicultural traditions to provide information about the Garden and seek their ideas on uses of the Garden, and explore their motivation for contributing to maintenance. It is planned to organise another activity at the end of November 2014, involving young people from different faith groups, cultural backgrounds and the local Indigenous community to promote friendships and better understand each other’s spiritual and cultural traditions.

CIF would welcome your visit to the Environment Garden, and also any interested parties who wish to participate in weeding on a one-off basis or are doing so on a regular weekly basis. For further information on, please contact:

Vernon Bailey: baileykv@pcug.org.au
Willie Senanayake: willie.s@bigpond.com