Kitchen Garden: Following the call of spring to Nil Desperandum at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

Last Saturday week, a group of 30 members of the National Trust and Australian Garden History Society went on an excursion to Nil Desperandum, the historic cottage in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Margie Bourke, recent Australian Garden History Society chair of the local branch said: "It was a very cold and windy day with the occasional light snow shower out at Tidbinbilla but it did not deter our group.

"We were led in convoy by ranger Sam Wellings Booth from the park entrance out 12 kilometres to Nil Desperandum. The purpose of our visit was to view the remnants of a commercial camellia nursery. When the property was acquired by the Commonwealth government in the 1950s there was an active camellia nursery.

"Apparently some specimens were taken to Yarralumla Nursery to sell, but there were some left onsite which then managed to survive until the 2003/4 bushfire which left burnt stumps. These have now recovered, and after our recent La Nina rain are looking very healthy and at the moment are covered in beautiful flowers in a range of colours from white, pink and red.

"Ranger Sam gave a brief history of the property and why it has remained in a nature reserve and Australian Garden History Society member and heritage consultant Anne Claoue-Long outlined the construction of the pise building and mentioned the key owners of the property."

A friend told me that at morning tea a stunning cake made by Margie Bourke was served. Margie has shared that recipe below.

You can stay at Nil Desperandum. Jason Davis is currently looking after the Nature Stays program, which includes public bookings of Nil Desperandum (and Ready Cut cottage in Namadgi National Park). They supplied our photographs of the cottage and the kitchen. To check availability and to book online, Jason says to go to actparks.bookeasy.com/stay and choose Nil Desperandum. They receive lots of bookings for all days of the week but weekends are most popular. Bookings are unavailable in the peak summer season to support fire management activities.

In October 2000, just after returning from the Sydney Olympics, I was at Nil Desperandum. Seven of us drove to Tidbinbilla in two cars. In my column in The Canberra Times (Kitchen Garden, October 11, 2000) I described the dwelling, on the slope of a granite boulder-strewn hill with sunlit views to a mountain range timbered with ribbon gums and peppermints. We saw a eucalyptus still beside Hurdle Creek.

A welcome to the kitchen read: "To start fridge: This job is best done by the most patient person in your group! It usually lights on the last effort just before you have decided to drink warm milk". A kindling bucket and firewood were provided for use in a fireplace and the enamel-fronted "Canberra" stove with cast iron hob held a large black camp oven pot and kettle.

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Last week John McRae, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve manager, offered edible ideas for overnighters.

"Food is really up to the individual. Damper on the open fire is a nice treat. Potatoes baked in the coals. Marshmallows. Mulled wine warmed on the kitchen stove. BBQ. So many options."

For the drizzle

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