National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia

[NBPCA]

Hi

Visited the display on Saturday........very impressive!

Photographs that I've seen are good but they don't do justice.

The trees donated / loaned by AusBonsai members are stunning....Pup, Aaron(x 2 & Germaine), Grant and some bloke named Leigh (apologies to anyone I missed).

There are also 2 large JBPs in the ground either side of the entrance to the display donated by Dorothy Koreshoff.

Grant doesn't attend on the weekends (didn't see anyone who was 7' 6") but his volunteer assistants are very knowledgeable & helpful.

Here's a map just in case.

Enjoy,

Russell

Hi Russell, If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake! Anyhow I just can't work seven days a week no matter how much I love the place and we do have a very brave band of Senior Bonsaiists who look after the collection and visitors on the weekend, and work with me during the week on maintaining the bonsai.

I love the map you have done! Can I pinch it and use it?

Oh and I'm reaaaly only 6'7''. I get confused sometimes.

I am very glad you enjoyed the display and hope you revisit soon.

Below is a photo of an Atlantic cedar that was recently restyled. It is in excellent health but still has a long way to go. The artist originally intended a much longer branch on the right hand side but it was broken before the tree was purchased from him by a group of bonsai enthusiasts and then donated to the collection. He has since died and we are trying to style the tree as he intended so we will again grow a longer branch but it will take time to elongate and mature. The crown still needs some work as well but it is coming along nicely.

Grant Bowie

Atlantic cedar 1964 Joe Micallef.jpg

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IMG_0614.JPG

[BonsaiFish]

Hi Russell, If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake! Anyhow I just can't work seven days a week no matter how much I love the place and we do have a very brave band of Senior Bonsaiists who look after the collection and visitors on the weekend, and work with me during the week on maintaining the bonsai.

I love the map you have done! Can I pinch it and use it?

Hi Grant

Funny you should say that........I'm thinking of coming down again in a few weeks so I'll take you up on that cake! LOL

Re the map by all means!

Thanks for the pics of the Cedar....it's a magnificent tree. I spoke to Jim re this one!

Thanks for getting back to me & hope to meet at some stage.

Russell

[NBPCA]

Hi Russell, If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake! Anyhow I just can't work seven days a week no matter how much I love the place and we do have a very brave band of Senior Bonsaiists who look after the collection and visitors on the weekend, and work with me during the week on maintaining the bonsai.

I love the map you have done! Can I pinch it and use it?

Hi Grant

Funny you should say that........I'm thinking of coming down again in a few weeks so I'll take you up on that cake! LOL

Re the map by all means!

Thanks for the pics of the Cedar....it's a magnificent tree. I spoke to Jim re this one!

Thanks for getting back to me & hope to meet at some stage.

Russell

Oh No!,
I have been found out. I really can't bake a cake to save my life!

Anyhow some more shots of the tree from last year and the overhaul.

Grant

[Jan]

We were in Canberra on Friday and called in for our first view of the collection. It was inspiring, and reinforced AusBonsai’s bad influence – I really have to learn more about Australian natives as Bonsai, – the natives in the collection were awesome, as were all the trees.

Thank you for your generosity with both information and your time, Leigh and Grant; it was great to meet you.

I’m sure we’ll be repeat visitors,

Jan

[Grant Bowie]

We were in Canberra on Friday and called in for our first view of the collection. It was inspiring, and reinforced AusBonsai’s bad influence – I really have to learn more about Australian natives as Bonsai, – the natives in the collection were awesome, as were all the trees.

Thank you for your generosity with both information and your time, Leigh and Grant; it was great to meet you.

I’m sure we’ll be repeat visitors,

Jan

Hi Jan,
It was good to meet you both on Friday and thank you for the kind words.
I like the flowers as your avatar; especially now you told me what they were.

Grant

[Leigh Taafe]

Hi Jan,

It was very nice to meet you both. It has been a brilliant first week for me in the job. I have enjoyed it very much. I have also been able to meet quite a few bonsai people from all over Australia, it has been great talking to everyone. What is great for all of these interstate visitors is that the collection is dynamic and ever changing, and a visit further down the track for these people will bring new experiences and new bonsai to view.

Cheers,
Leigh.

[bonsaibruce]

Greetings from Queensland,
If my memory serves me correctly, in 1988 the Japanese Government presented to Australia, as a bicentenial present, a number of bonsai.
I seem to recall that several failed the quarentine and the rest were in intensive care at Dot's, Castle Hill.
Have any of the trees survived?
Are any in the National Collection?
Thanks,
Happy bonsai,
Bruce.

[Grant Bowie]

Greetings from Queensland,
If my memory serves me correctly, in 1988 the Japanese Government presented to Australia, as a bicentenial present, a number of bonsai.
I seem to recall that several failed the quarentine and the rest were in intensive care at Dot's, Castle Hill.
Have any of the trees survived?
Are any in the National Collection?
Thanks,
Happy bonsai,
Bruce.

Hi Bruce,

The donation was from China and the penjing were to be housed at the Chinese gardens at darling harbour.

My recollection from the time was that 9 or 10 out of the 12 died due to the gassing of the trees with methyl Bromide by quarantine. That is why we do not encourage and positively resist trees being donated to us from overseas as we cannot guarantee a good outcome.

Any of the Penjing that survived in 1988 would have gone to the Chinese Garden at Darling Harbour.

If Philip Tot is watching this thread he could answer more accurately.

Grant

[Philippe Tot]

Hello Bruce, Grant...others on the forum

The Penjing that were donated, was by the provincial Government of Guangdong China. 18 were hand picked all coming from differant cities. Prodomantly , Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan etc...

Out of that number, by the time I came back from Kong Kong and on the scene with the Chinese Gardens it was in 1992.

Only 2 remained.

Out of that 2, 1 was in a serious state of decline and could not be saved. That was a Red Pine, which was over 150 years old. I can still remember its sad state as if it was yesterday...
The one that remained was a Ficus retusa. But even that one was in a sorry state, I spent many years to regain momentum after the methol bromite process.. So yes, all learn from that experiance. Aus quarantine habbits have not eased at all and still practice Menthol bromite procedures.

Take care all.

Philippe Tot