STURT GARDENS

Looking at Sturt and its beautiful gardens today it is difficult to imagine that in 1941 there was only one room, set on a fire-blackened hill.  In January 1939, bushfires had swept through the district, destroying many homes in Mittagong.

Two years later, in October 1941, Winifred West, the founder of Frensham, opened her new school andcalled it Sturt after her mother (Fanny Sturt).  The 48’ x 20’ schoolroom was built where Marchmont, a large house belonging to Frensham had stood.  There was nothing left of the garden except a few trees that had escaped the blaze.

In this room, now the weaving room, six fourteen-year-old girls who were leaving Mittagong Public School, came to learn spinning and weaving and a variety of other subjects.  Two boys came to learn carpentry in a nearby garage on Saturday mornings. Winifred West, who inherited her exceptional gardening talents from her mother, began to plan and plant a garden.  For the duration of the war it was largely given over to the growing of vegetables, serving a dual purpose, helping with the food supply and supplying onion skins for dying.

By 1947 the market garden look had vanished.  Lawns and young trees were flourishing and Miss West was hard at work planning for the future.  Many friends gave trees and plants and practical help.

From these modest beginnings, the garden has grown extensively to cover a large proportion of the five hectare property.  The first building to be added after the war was another weaving room, the same size as the original one and joined to it. The carpenters workshop, now the Sturt School for Wood was built in 1947 by Sturt adult pupils from timber cut at Holt Farm, part of the Frensham property.  Sturt Cottage was built in 1947.

In 1958 Miss West asked John Moore to design a pergola.  This elegant structure, now covered in wisteria, stands on the East side of the weaving room and commemorates his generous service to Sturt.  The inscription was carved by Les Blakebrough.

The three stone seats, one on each side of the Weaving Room and one in the water garden are all in honour of friends of Miss West and of Sturt.  The sandstone bath near the Shop was designed by Gerald Lewers and commemorates other friends.  The ceramic fountain is the work of Les Blakebrough, installed in 1969 and restored in May 2001. This fountain was blown down by strong winds in 2006. It is hoped that the fountain can be reinstalled in a more protected position sometime in the future.

All the buildings were designed by John D. Moore who did the work “for love” until his death in 1958. Winifred West and her lifelong friend and co-founder, Phyllis Clubbe, lived in Sturt Cottage until Miss West’s death in 1971.

The Sturt Shop (originally the Common Room) was built in 1950 and furnished by Sturt craftsmen, and in 1953 the Pottery was established by Ivan McMeekin. 

In 1958 the carpenters built a display room where finished articles from the workshop could be displayed and stored.  This was the exhibitions gallery until it was destroyed by fire in 1991 and the new gallery was built adjacent to the Sturt Shop.

Ainsworth, the accommodation unit, was designed by Don Gazzard.  It was built in 1963 and furnished by Sturt craftsmen for the annual exhibition of that year.  It was named for Ruth Ainsworth, a foundation member of the Sturt staff. As each building was completed, new gardens were planted.

In 1975 two new buildings were added for woodwork production and metalcraft.

The gardens have always been an integral and much loved part of Sturt and add greatly to it’s attraction.  Imagination, co-operation, hard work and love have all contributed to their creation.