Goulburn’s proximity to Sydney and its rail connections helped Robert and Gail Favaloro choose to relocate to the city, where they discovered a welcoming community and a recently built, architect-designed home overlooking beautiful countryside. Photo: John Thistleton.
Soon after Robert and Gail Favaloro bought a grazing property south of Goulburn with glorious panoramic views across the gently sloping countryside their long-time friend and former parish priest from Engadine visited them.
Father John Briffa remarked how lucky they were to have a beautiful home with such a gorgeous outlook.
Gail reflected on the hard work that preceded their purchase in 2010 and Father Briffa said: “You’re right. It’s providence.”
Hence, the 43-hectare spread subdivided from neighbouring Lynwood has been called Providence. Multiple native plant species are a godsend for birds including endangered gang-gang cockatoos.
Providence will be one of eight gardens to open on 17 and 18 October for the Goulburn Spring Gardens celebration, aimed at building appreciation of the city and district’s heritage and country charm.
Having read the story of John Weatherstone, a pioneer of regenerative farming at Gunning (who now lives in Goulburn), the Favaloros established three rip lines along their boundary and across the property and planted 2500 wattle and eucalypt.
“Then we got rain which was brilliant, so we got a really good take of the new trees,” Robert said. “So the place in now pretty well treed in the way John Weatherstone promoted it.”
Following the example of another regenerative pioneer, Peter Andrews, they built post-and-rail fencing at the top of hills to protect newly planted trees in groves that now harbour wildlife including lizards and snakes.
A former general practitioner at Engadine, Robert established a thriving medical centre which later employed Gail, a nurse and his wife. They are now passionate about nurturing the land.
Vivid purple, yellow, creamy white and brilliant white are splashed throughout the gardens as shrubs show off their springtime splendour. Emu bush, wattles, John Evans grevillea, pittosporums, mint bush, kangaroo paw and grass trees all contribute to the display. White cedar trees will soon be adding beautiful bursts of purple.
A grey shrike-thrush’s melodic repertoire rings out in the trees overhead, while galahs, crimson rosellas, king parrots and the occasional sulphur-crested cockatoo swoop down on bird feeders for a nibble, or a splash in the bird baths.
More exciting are the large numbers of rare gang-gang cockatoos that occasionally settle on the flowering Hakea to feast on woody seed pods. Black cockatoos visit for the same reason.
One day a flock of 19 gang-gangs turned up at Providence. Another time a gang-gang’s boldness startled Gail.
“I was filling up a watering tub and I have never felt so close to anything in my life; the gang-gang comes past, sits down and starts drinking. I could hardly move with the excitement,” Gail said.
Mulch, much enthusiasm and listening to good advice have helped Robert and Gail enhance their garden south of Goulburn at Tirrannaville. Photo: John Thistleton.
Abundant birdlife can be seen through large double-glazed picture windows on the north east of the house, which has eaves designed to capture winter sunlight.
Rocks, lots of mulch and grassed areas protect the soil and ensure no part of the land is left bare, following advice from a project manager with Rivers of Carbon Lori Gould who visited Providence.
“I like the way our garden blends into the box forest here,” Robert said. “It’s hard to see where the garden finishes and the native areas start, we have sort of joined them up.”
They have weathered dry years during which they hand-fed their cattle and later switched to stocking Dorper and Wiltipoll cross sheep, a low-maintenance meat breed.
Over the years late frosts and a heavy dump of snow which snapped off wattle branches have disrupted plants, yet the property continues to flourish.
Three of the five dams on Providence have been fenced to keep out livestock. Troughs have been installed to encourage sheep to drink from them rather than degrading the soil and banks around the dams which are now filled with clear water.
“There are lots of reeds and so on growing, you get a huge amount of frogs,” Robert said. “There’s a lot of noise at night from frogs. The dams have become like little water holes.”
Engadine Mens Shed built this bird feeder for the Favaloros and parrots like this male king parrot have made themselves at home. Photo: John Thistleton.
In their first weeks of coming to Goulburn they were travelling to and from Sydney by train, when Gail noticed the Goulburn railway station’s rose gardens were in a mess. She kept making inquiries until she was allowed to work voluntarily alongside Robert to revitalise the roses.
They have weeded, planted more roses and mulched the garden, with occasional help from other volunteers. Father Briffa died in October last year, but the providence he spoke of is spreading.
Providence will be one of eight gardens to open on 17 and 18 October for the Goulburn Spring Gardens celebration. Get your tickets or find out more here.
