Connie’s Garden Blossoms
A dream to turn a barely used grassed area into a beautiful garden for the community has taken five years to blossom and now the vision and passion of volunteer Connie Keith who drove the program has been recognised.
The sensory garden at Balcombe Heights Estate in Baulkham Hills was officially renamed The Connie Anne Keith Sensory Garden at a special ceremony by Hills Shire Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne this month.
“The renaming of the garden after Connie is a small way our community can recognise her incredible efforts over the past 19 years, which have included promoting the history of Balcombe Heights Estate, organising annual Remembrance Day ceremonies, opening the war memorial, planting trees as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, and much more,” she said.
“Connie has a long history of volunteering at Balcombe Heights Estate, stretching back to 2006 when she was part of a pottery group onsite and put her hand up to become Chair of the Balcombe Heights Estate Committee. She has held that position ever since.
“From coming up with the initial idea for the garden, to applying for the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program and working alongside Council and the garden’s designer, Connie cultivated the sensory garden and brought it to life.
“Sensory gardens stimulate the four senses of sight, touch, hearing and smell, and have been shown to improve mental and physical wellbeing, especially for people with dementia or neurodivergent needs,” she said.
Connie said she was thinking of ways to mark the 100th anniversary of the old Masonic School site (now the Balcombe Heights Estate) during the COVID lockdown when she thought about a community garden.
“When I was with the Macquarie Hills Potters we would sit on the verandah for lunch and I would look at this grassy field that no one seemed to use.”
After approaching the Hills Shire council’s general manager who supported the idea she started to look for funding for the project.
“Because of the organisations on the Estate I saw that having a sensory garden would be really good and also good for the community’s mental health.”
It took two years for the grant application to be approved but working with landscape designer Tig Crowley and Hills Community Aid the plans were well in place by the time the funding did come through. The garden was opened in November 2024 and renamed following community consultation.
Connie said she always felt a connection to the site as she used to go to Northead High School with boys who lived at the Masonic Schools at Balcombe Heights.
“It started as a place that was caring for people and I still see it as a place that’s caring for people. I wanted to have something that’s going to be useful for the community and bring the community together. That was my main aim.”
The Sensory Garden was funded by the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program (formerly WestInvest).
Its features include an accessible ramp as well as Aboriginal art symbols and colourful park furniture, plus ceramics created and donated by Connie.
