Parkland volunteers – Couples: Vivienne and Joseph, Jill and Peter

Husband and wife, Vivienne and Joseph Hum

"It's a chance to put something back into our community while doing something we are interested in"

What do you do?
We volunteer as gardeners at the Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane. We particularly enjoy caring for the Japanese Water Harp garden. The parkland gardener briefs us on what needs to be done and we help out with everything from pruning and weeding to watering.

How much time do you commit?
We have been volunteering at the gardens for about a year now. We garden every fortnight from 6.30am to 11.30am.

What motivated you to volunteer?
We both like to garden — Vivienne a self confessed plant-aholic and Joseph an expert hole digger — with the drought in Brisbane restricting our gardening at home we found the parklands a great outlet for our love of gardening. We also have the time to do something as we are both retired and want to contribute to the community.

What do you get out of volunteering?
We get great satisfaction and a sense of achievement from seeing the gardens improve. The staff are so friendly and helpful, we feel at home and part of the team. It's a chance to put something back into our community while doing something we are interested in.

How did you come to volunteer as a family?
We were both retired and saw an advertisement in the Quest newspaper. We have also volunteered together before by helping out at our church with cleaning and plant sales for drought relief.

Are there benefits volunteering as a family?
After 44 years of marriage, we like doing things together.

Husband and wife, Jill and Peter Lam

"After 46 years of marriage we still prefer to do things together."

What do you do?
We lead small groups of people on guided tours of the Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane. We provide information about the gardens and the wide variety of plants. International tourists also ask questions about Brisbane and Queensland. We provide information about a range of subjects including the weather, transport, history and things to do.

Jill has also given art classes for parkland visitors.

How much time do you commit?
We have been volunteering at the parkland for seven years and we intend to continue for as long as we can. How much time we give depends on the roster but it's usually once a week from 10am to 2pm.

What motivated you to volunteer?
We were both retired, loved the garden and had the time to do something, so when we saw an advertisement in the local newspaper for volunteers we decided to give it a try. Peter speaks Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese and he thought these skills would be put to good use as a guide. Jill loves to paint flowers and the gardens offered an opportunity to be surrounded by her muse.

What do you get out of volunteering?
The parklands are an inspiring place to be. We enjoy meeting people from overseas and other parts of Australia and showing them the beauty of the gardens. We've even made friends from meeting people on tours.

Volunteering also gives us a common interest. We gain knowledge and learn new things about the plants. It's great to be able to pass on that information as it does enrich people's experience of the gardens. Did you know that the director of Kew Gardens, Joseph Banks gave the Strelitzia flower the more common name 'Bird of Paradise' in honour of his Queen?

Working in the parklands has also inspired us to create our own sub tropical garden at home. Volunteering keeps us young and active. We appreciate the opportunity to give something back.

Are there benefits volunteering as a family?
After 46 years of marriage we still prefer to do things together and the parklands offered this option.