Joan Broadstock remembers when cows roamed next to her Hoppers Crossing home.
The 76-year-old Werribee resident, Victoria State Rose Garden Supporters president, tells Charlene Macaulay about Wyndham of old and her love of gardening.
What’s your connection to the Wyndham area?
I’ve lived here for 51 years.
My husband was in the air force … deployed to Laverton.
We loved it so much we decided to buy a property at Hoppers Crossing.
We were the 16th house completed at Hoppers Crossing.
There were cows in the fields everywhere around us.
We became very close with our neighbours.
What’s it been like to see the area grow?
Absolutely amazing.
Our house got a little bit small for us and our children were starting to go to school in Geelong, so we moved into Werribee and it was wonderful.
We had five children when we moved to Werribee and eventually ended up with six children.
And now I have 11 grandchildren.
We loved the Werribee life from the start.
How did you meet your husband, Len?
I was in Ballarat working at the telephone exchange, and Len was at the [air force] base there.
We knew one another for about five years.
I met him when I was 17 and we married when I was 22.
He died seven years ago.
You and Len were among the original members of the Victoria State Rose Garden Supporters – tell me more.
There was a front-page story on the Banner asking for help to save the Rose Garden … people from the National Rose Society taught us how to work and it’s built from there.
It became a great friendship group.
We get so much satisfaction out of what we do and learn.
We’re down to about six of those original members now … we have about 110 members at the moment.
I was the secretary for nine years, and I’ve been president for two years.
This place has given me something to live for.
Have you always been a keen gardener?
Always. I looked at different volunteer jobs, … when I saw this, I thought, ‘That’s me’.
My [home] garden is on a double block and it’s a big part of my life. I do it all myself.
People like to stop and talk when they see me in the garden.
What’s your favourite type of rose?
It’s probably heritage roses.
Where do you like to go for a coffee or a meal?
I go to the Wyndham Cache quite a lot.
