A group of former schoolmates have transformed a dry, desolate patch of dirt in the middle of nowhere into a community garden bursting with flowers, artworks, and history.
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The secret garden now sits along a long dusty road in Tootool, an abandoned country town about 16 kilometres west of The Rock.
Retiree Judy Lewis said she refused to let Tootool fade into obscurity, saying she had many cherished memories of her childhood growing up on the local farm.
"When we were children here we had a school, two churches, a post office, and a store. To us, the place was alive. It's down to nothing now," Mrs Lewis said.
"We didn't want to let Tootool die."
None of the original schoolmates still live in Tootool, but a passionate few continue to drive in from Wagga and the surrounding towns in order to tend to the gardens.
One of them is green thumb Elsie Peschla, who moved to The Rock two years ago but was determined to keep the community spirit alive.
Ms Peschla said it was a massive team effort, with ex-locals running bake stalls and donating their plants in order to build the garden up.
"We've done a lot and we're proud of it all," Mrs Peschla said.
"When we first started we had a big group of us, but now it's the faithful few. It's just down to a handful of us, but somebody's got to keep it going."
The community gardens also boasts a shed, a shelter, a toilet block, fancy gates, and a barbecue pit, all made by various handymen in the region.
One of them is retiree Barry Chaplin, who spent countless hours sawing, hammering, and tinkering away in his shed in order to make more curios to add to the community gardens.
Among his creations are a pack of metal dogs which look so realistic that they once spooked a drover's horse, which refused to go anywhere near them.
Mr Chaplin said his craftsmanship was entirely self-taught, saying those skills simply came with growing up in a country town back in the day.
"All of us men could do this sort of work back then," Mr Chaplin said.
"A young person today wouldn't know how to use a shovel."
The garden is considered a hidden gem among The Rock residents as well as drivers passing by, who will often stop to soak in the sights and take a breather within the sanctuary.
The garden has also garnered something of a reputation amongst grey nomads, who will drive all the way to Tootool and spend the night there inside their caravans.
Nearly all of the visitors are from out of town, since only a few dozen residents remain in Tootool as the population continues to dwindle.
However, there are still a handful of former locals who are determined to make sure that at least one corner of Tootool continues to thrive.
Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
