Guardians of Gandolfo Gardens

Abstract

Our next excursion brings us face to face with, and indeed part of, resistance and rebellion in the city. The Guardians of Gandolfo Gardens set out to save the multitude of old-growth trees surrounding Moreland station, planted a century prior. Was this activist engagement successful? Perhaps winning the war is less important than the spirit with which one enters the urban fray. We read about, observe, and participate in this unsuccessful resistance movement and, admittedly, we are still haunted as we walk past the desolate wasteland that the once-flourishing gardens have become. We wonder where the rainbow lorikeets, wattlebirds, and possums will sleep tonight, and where parents with their newborns will find shade from the fierce summer sun. Neoliberal urbanism again shows its ugly face.