Botanical Visions is a new film project that uncovers the mountain’s horticultural past, charting the loss of the original towering mountain ash forests, to the establishment of Mount Macedon’s grand 19th-century garden estates.
To find out more about Botanical Visions, Elizabeth Langslow, the filmmaker behind the project, shares what inspired the films, who was involved, and why Mount Macedon is such a unique place to explore.
Few places in Victoria have such a rich blend of preserved botanical history. Within a short drive you can wander through a slightly wild 19th-century garden, then step straight into a towering forest of eucalypts and ferns. It’s this natural contrast that gives Mount Macedon its magic.
Mount Macedon/Geburrh is on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, Taungurung and Dja Dja Wurrung country, a place managed successfully for thousands of years. It is also home to the most significant collection of 19th-century gardens in Australia— full of rare plants once carried here on ships from around the world. These plants are living reminders of the Victorian-era passion for plant hunting and adventurous garden design.
Mount Macedon played the lead role in Botanical Visions. The mountain is ever-changing, with spectacular autumn colours, winter mists, an abundance of flowers in spring, and cool temperate rainforest for the summer. It’s a captivating mix to try and capture on film.
We discovered a lot of interesting history while making the films. The exotic plantings of the Macedon Ranges were created after forests of giant tree fern and towering mountain ash—the tallest flowering plants on Earth—were cleared. Much of the timber was used to help build Melbourne. People arriving after the sawmills, could buy land on the condition they planted trees, so settlers experimented with species from across the globe, transforming the mountain into something entirely new. A nursery industry sprung up to support these horticultural passions.
Many plants you see growing on Mount Macedon today are living artefacts of the botanical ambitions in the 19th century- a kind of exotic fantasy in the Australian landscape.
Plants have this amazing way of connecting us to our cultural histories, often in ways we don’t even realize. Botanical Visions is an invitation to see this mountain with fresh eyes. You can watch the films below, or even better, come and experience this beautiful environment for yourself.
THE FOREST GIANTS OF GEBURRH
In the 19th Century Mount Macedon’s great forests were clear-felled to provide timber for a growing new colony. Robin Godfrey takes us on a journey through the archives exploring this time of great change on the mountain.
BOTANICAL AMBITIONS
Learn how Australia’s most significant and beautiful collection of late 19th-century gardens began. Discover the influence of the plant-hunting movements on local nurseries and garden design. Renowned local horticulturalist Stephen Ryan also explores how the botanical legacy of Mount Macedon continues to shape its gardens today.
A SECRET GARDEN
Ard Choille, the 19th century Mount Macedon garden lost in the mist, was rediscovered in the 1980’s by Zoe Cottew’s family. Hear what they found out underneath the blackberries about a Scotsman descendant of Rob Roy and his wild ambitions.
THE FLOWER HUNTER
Discover the life of 19th century painter and flower hunter Ellis Rowan, as told by art collector Annie Mulkearns.
SEQUOIA
Arborist Pat Kenyon takes us to the top of one of the world’s tallest trees, a magnificent, towering, 120-year -old Sequoia Sempervirens on Mount Macedon.
A NEW GARDEN
Follow the journey to create a new garden by owner Keith Beard and landscape designer Anna Thompson, in a bare paddock on the top of Mount Macedon. A creative vision to be enjoyed by future generations.
LETTER FROM AN OLD TIMER
A mysterious letter tells us of the life of people on the mountain in the 19th Century. A treasure of the local Gisborne and Mount Macedon District Historical Society. Hear it read by Frank Porter and Phyliss Boyd.
About The Films
The films were made in partnership with The Gisborne and Mount Macedon District Historical Society, and supported by The Public Records Office of Victoria. Botanical Visions was filmed on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, Taungurung and Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples.
Botanical Visions was made possible due to the combined efforts of passionate Macedon Ranges locals—gardeners, arborists, landowners, and members of our local historical society—who all shared their knowledge and love for the mountain.
AUTHOR BIO
Elizabeth Langslow is a filmmaker, photographer, and avid gardener who grew up exploring the gardens and forests of Mount Macedon. Do you have a story to share? Elizabeth works with communities and businesses to bring stories to life through film and photography. Get in touch with Elizabeth to discuss your next project.
Discover more about Mount Macedon’s open gardens and plan a visit.
Choose from over 100 places to stay in the Macedon Ranges, ensuring you have lots of time for leafy, botanical adventures. Explore Macedon Regional Park, and local nurseries such as Dicksonia Rare Plants, and Macedon Nursery.
Accommodation options include the Gardens of Tieve Tara, an exquisite hillside estate, along with picturesque Braeside Mt Macedon, home to rambling English-style cottage gardens, and recently featured in Australian Country.
Forest Glade Gardens is open throughout the year, and historic Duneira Estate offers regular tours, seasonal workshops, and annual events including the Bluebell Festival.
In nearby Macedon, Bolobek opens each spring for the annual Bolobek Garden Fair weekend. Bolobek also features on-site accommodation.
Viewfield, with its flowing lawns, winding paths, and majestic 120 year-old elms and oaks, generally opens on set days each autumn.
Keep an eye on the Visit Macedon Ranges What’s On Calendar for more seasonal events and garden openings.
