The "Lilydale Express" on Friday 19th
July 1901 published an article “Chandlers I have Met” written by M.A.C. It is a delightful article on the
family and it left me feeling privileged to have known the late John Chandler.
I have in my possession John’s autobiography
which has given me a greater insight.
One of the many things mentioned in the article was about the plant
Boronia, and I now quote “The flower season is a busy one for Mr Chandler
(William) as maybe judged when it is known that 35,000 bunches of Boronia have
to be marketed and dispatched to all principal towns of the state, but in this
department he is ably assisted by the younger members of the family” unquote.
John Chandler regaled me with the stories of
picking and bunching the Boronia up into posies, there was no electricity
connected so lamps and candles were used as they worked into the night. John told me the Boronias seeds planted
at Como came from a relative holidaying in Western Australia, they are not
native to Victoria. The growing
seasons for the plants ended when they became affected by a virus, but not
before the Chandlers had bred new plants.
It was with great pleasure on visiting the second stage of
the Botanical Gardens at Cranbourne that I saw planted one of the Chandlers
Boronia, the name lives on - what a wonderful achievement.
I could talk about Como Gardens forever, why
not came along to our next Open Weekend 19th and 20th of
October; we will have a lot of fun?
Join the garden tours and hear stories of
days gone by whilst supporting our SES and St John Ambulance.
....© 2013 Pat Hetrel, Como Gardens, The Basin, Victoria, Australia