AusBonsai

It with sadness that I advise the passing of Alison Copperfield this past weekend. My thoughts are with her remaining family and friends.

I do not mean to be rude, but may I ask who Alison Copperfield is?
I assume a Bonsai person of note, but not a name I have heard.

Ken

RIP Alison

Alison and Frank Copperfield ran Minka bonsai from the late 1960s into the early 80s or so and retired to Paradise Point down near Huskison. Frank died 10 or 15 years ago.

They had a brilliant tree in the 1995 BFA/BCI convention at Warwick Farm; a Calyatrix tetragona? Fringe myrtle.

Alison used to be a Science teacher and had a very school marm voice and attitude which you either loved or it drove you crazy. She was very strict and had watering and weeding slaves (Students) when at Bexley(I met one last weekend). She wrote, taught bonsai and travelled widely to Japan and China in the very early years.

She was the 3rd person who did bonsai that I ever met in 1970. Lenny Webber, Koreschoffs and then Alison.

She supported the NBPCA and donated a number of trees to the collection; one Cedar with a Flat Top drives the Bonsai purists crazy.

She suffered a serious of strokes about 7 years ago and had been in a rest home since then. She died on Saturday night.

Anyone else with Frank and Alison stories please post here; I am sure she and frank would love it.
Grant

RIP Allison and may you enjoy being together with Frank once again !!!

Alison donated the tree that Yusuke Uchida worked on at the NBPCA
Grant

Allison and Frank's bonsai nursery Minka was in Bexley, they then moved to Blakehurst before moving to Sanctury Point. Allison then joined Urimbirra (South Coast) Bonsai Society where she became their Patron. Seeing their display at Miranda Fair shopping centre in the early 1970s was my first introduction to bonsai, and I particularly remember their cedars. Allison was a very feisty lady who had a commanding, authoritative voice and because of her teaching background was great at imparting bonsai information, particularly to beginners. She was a breeder of koi carp and I vividly remember visiting her at Sanctuary Point where the koi carp river ran down the outside of her home, before coming into the house and ending in a large glass fronted pond. Jan B.

I first met Alison when I accompanied Grant to select trees from her collection for the NBPCA. That was in 2007.
What an amazing place she lived in. It was entirely given over to a Japanese garden (actually many linked small gardens) and a Japanese influenced house. Koi swam from the outside pond into the living room.

After we had walked around looking at all the trees, Grant asked which one was my favourite. For me there was no doubt. It was the Cedrus atlantica. Alison's note card file showed that training started in 1976, but that the tree came from seed from the UK in 1926, planted in 1927, and obtained from the Dandenongs.
Here is what the Atlas cedar looked like when I first saw it. The Calytrix tetragona that Grant referred to looked like this at the time of the conference. The reddish colours were from the old flowers, while the whitish colours were when in full bloom.
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Here is what it looked like in 2007 when it was accepted into the NBPCA. It had suffered from just being old.
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Alison was able to see the opening of the NBPCA both in 2008 and finally in its new home in 2013. She was a strong supporter and a fine bonsai artist.
Vale Alison.

To Alison's family,
I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Alison. I would like to pass on my sympathy to the family.

Regards Ray

We have re-potted Allison's black pine. This is the tree that Yusuke Uchida restyled in a demonstration here at the NBPCA.
When I have a minute I will take a studio shot of the tree.
Cheers
Leigh

NBPCA wrote:We have re-potted Allison's black pine. This is the tree that Yusuke Uchida restyled in a demonstration here at the NBPCA.
When I have a minute I will take a studio shot of the tree.

IMG_1648.JPG

Cheers
Leigh

Hi Leigh,
Very nice. A lovely tribute to Allison that I hope will live on for many years.

Regards Ray

RIP Alison , may your journey be pleasant and you arrive safely.

Pup and Mrs Pup

What a lovely legacy she has left us? I didn't know her but did she write any books? I would love to read them.

Needless to say, my condolences and best wishes to her family.

luv Pat from Armidale.

Alison authored the 1985 "Koi for Beginners" (2nd edition 1987) and the 1994 KSA Handbook, "Keeping Koi in Australia," aka the "Koi Bible." I have not found any record of her writing any Bonsai books, but she did at least write five articles, published in 2003 and 2006 in the Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants Newsletter on behalf of the Australian Plants as Bonsai Study Group (index here: http://anpsa.org.au/bonsai/newsletter.html , and newsletters clickable towards the top of the page).

Please also see the Jun 8 entry in our Bonsai Book of Days project,http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/Days/DaysJun.html.