Post 1: The Outside Amphitheatre Garden Room
The whole garden has been designed as a series of linked garden rooms. Each garden room has a different function but has creates a real sense of belonging. I thought of a landscape as would a sculptor in a solid medium, but I saw it as a three dimensional piece of space which people walked through which had an emotional effect on people. This space changed with time as it grew and changed with the time of day: shadows vs. sun patterns, boulders, colour, plants, trees, earth-forms, solid structures and water. These were the ingredients in a subtle flow of landscape design and construction. Unknowingly I was a landscape sculptor. Rather an intangible product to sell and run a business with!! Out of this stage I built a structure for my life: my marriage with Harriet, business and the house plus we had a family.
The view from the arbour where you look down into a small amphitheatre. It has radiating stone seats (stone left over from building the internal house walls) with a central bonfire area. The seats are covered with foam cushions stored for the occasion. We use this area for large gatherings of people in the winter time when it is cold … see the photos below.

It is 7.00 am in the morning in mid September 2015. It is the start of spring in Australia. I am sitting reading a book in the arbour and reflecting on life ….. I became retired when I had my severe brain injury twenty years ago in December 1995. I am just really enjoying the early morning sun shining through the dark green leaves of the native wisteria vine growing over the arbour. The sun shines through the abundance of white and mauve pea – like flowers from the wisteria vine … see photo above. I am looking out to my left and see the new cottage garden that Harriet and I have been establishing in the last few months. It is such a pleasure in seeing what new flowers are coming out this week. See the section below: Cottage Garden Room below with accompanying photos and words.
This photo shows an earlier reddish shade umbrella in use over the outdoor eating table. We now have a green one as in the photo above.
Big stone entry stairs provide progressive entry to the house and the arbour. With big square stone which has the metal solar light beside it, this is special stone from Boggo Rd. Gaol from 1883. I obtained ten of these stones in 1984 from my demolition friend Neil for A$34.00 each. Neil supplied the beams and posts in our house. See above. The 1800’s is very old in Australia as Captain Cook from England only came and discovered this new land in 1770. Cook was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy.
I found out these also had a history. The first gaol in Brisbane was established at Humpybong, Redcliffe in 1824. Then between 1860 and 1883 the gaol was in Petrie Terrace where the old Police barracks are. In 1883 the gaol was transferred to Boggo Rd. Gaol. Capital punishment (hanging) was abolished in 1922. Boggo Rd. Gaol was closed in the late 1970’s and is now used for periodic cultural functions. This finally means our ten stones date from 1883.
The amphitheatre in use at night. It gives a wonderful inclusive feeling.
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See the next post: Post 2: The Front Garden Room
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