Sotherton 15a Brisbane Street,

Launceston, Tasmania 7250

2 April 2017 03 6331 8118 - 0419 553 124

Postal address:
Ms Leanne Hurst PO Box 5333
Director Development Services Launceston Tas 7250
Launceston City Council
PO Box 396
Launceston Tas 7250

2017 Heritage Awards

Dear Ms Hurst,

Attached, please find my submission for the Launceston City Council 2017
Heritage Awards Category 3 Heritage Garden and Landscape Projects.

I trust I have provided sufficient information and illustrations and look forward
to opening my garden for inspection by yourself and the competition judges.

Yours faithfully

R A Dusting
Sotherton
Sotherton
15a Brisbane Street, Launceston

T
he gardens surround the Heritage Listed residence, Sotherton,
which was built in 1931 by J & T Gunn for Dr Clifford and Mrs Edith
Craig, to the design of Hubert S East FRIBA FRAIA, on the western of
two blocks formed by the original front garden of Sunnybank (c1824).

The gardens were laid out shortly after the completion of the building in November
1931. They were maintained by the Craigs until 1939 when they purchased and
moved into Beulah at 21 High Street, not far away.

Dr Craig retained his rooms at Sotherton, along with other doctors, and the
property was gradually turned completely over to commercial use. Sadly, over this
long period of time, the gardens were allowed to slowly deteriorate. They became
overgrown with, especially, Ivy enveloping trees, house, garage and gardens.

On Saturday, 26 July 2008, the property was sold at auction to Robert A Dusting,
a retired Federal public servant who was living in Burnie at the time. The house,
while being adequately maintained, required extensive renovation to restore it to
a private residence, culminating in its winning the Launceston City Council 2011
Heritage Award for Residential Stand Alone Category Reconstruction and Return
to Residence.

Upon completion of renovations to the property and taking up residence in early

2009, Robert turned his attention to the restoration of the derelict gardens. Firstly,
the removal of the 22.86m (75 feet) massive Pin Oak Tree from the northern front
yard on Brisbane Street. Then came weeks of clearing the layers of Ivy that had
taken over the property. The clearing work revealed the original layout of paths,
steps, and paved areas that had been hidden for decades. In some areas at the rear
of the property, the depth of weeds reached nearly .5m (18 inches)!

On the east side of the property, the gardens had been given over to car parking.
The Ivy here had completely enveloped the garage and even reached to very top of
the eastern Gable where it had entered the roof space. Original Crazy Paving was
uncovered adjacent to the front entrance, where some time later, there appeared
Pink and Bluebells that had been lost for all those years. The plants are again
flourishing and strengthening by the year.

Once all was cleared, the bare bones of the original garden was revealed, providing
Robert with a blank canvas to work with. He decided to re-create the original

Page 1

Above:
Jane Craig (left) and friends
on one of their visits to Sotherton.
Below:
The fallen tree that caused so much
damage in July 2015.
1930s English Cottage Garden. This work was done
in consultation with the late Jane Craig, daughter of
Clifford & Edith, who advised on the original features
and some plants which flourished in the garden when
Sotherton was her home.
An automatic watering system was designed and
installed in the front gardens before the original edging
was repaired or reinstated and the new lawns laid.
The was expertly completed by J H & D K Coghlan,
landscapers of Youngtown. An aged Sundial made a
central feature of the lawn.
The front fence pre-dates Sotherton by many decades when it was the original
fence for Sunnybank. The fence and front gardens again required attention
via repair and further effort following a neighbours tree that collapsed across
almost all the front area in July 2014. The fallen tree had undone so much of
Roberts work and seriously damaged the front fence and garage. The image
at the foot of this page illustrates the heart-breaking scene the following
morning.
Since then, it has been an on-going project re-introducing trees and plants
from the period, such as Camellias, Yews, Maples, Rhododendrons, as well as
Marigolds, Lavenders, Roses, Granny Bonnets and numerous bulbs to name
just a few. More recently, many and various mature tree-ferns, sourced from
Fernmania in Scottsdale, have been planted out and flourished to create a cool
Fern Walk to the front entrance. This now continues up the garden and across
the rear of the property.
Varied and interesting aged gardenalia has recently been placed around to
give the gardens an aged and mature feel.
Spring/Summer of 2016/2017 has been the first season the open areas of the
property have achieved the feel of an old established garden in keeping with
the Heritage Home. It has passed its newness and
the House and Garden now complement each other
completely. It continues to be an on-going work, to
be enjoyed & experienced by all who visit, as well
as those who will be the future custodians of this
unique property called Sotherton, in the Launceston
City Heart overlooking the beautiful City Park for
generations to come.
Page 2
North (Front) Garden

Right:
The North (Front) Gardens
~ not long after the
massive Pin Oak tree had
been felled and removed.
The lawn area has yet to
be reinstated.

Below:
The North (Front) Garden
reinstated, looking south-
east, providing a glimpse of
the re-established gardens.
The required repair in this
area was achieved with
much effort by Robert
following the neighbours
fallen tree in 2014.

Page 3
North (Front) Garden

Right:
The North (Front) Garden &
Lawn in their barest form
before being re-established.
The huge Pin Oak that
occupied the entire front
of Sotherton precluded any
chance of garden or lawn.

Below:
The North (Front) Garden
from the same viewpoint
as the above photo clearly
demonstrates the results of
the efforts made to restore
the entire property to its
prior, and appropriate, glory.

Page 4
South Terrace Garden

Right:
The South Terrace Garden
~ derelict and showing
the massive invasion of Ivy
from the property behind
Sotherton.

Below:
The South Terrace Garden
reinstated, looking east, with
the original paved area and
setting at the far end.

Page 5
South Terrace Garden

Right:
The South Terrace Garden
~ looking west, after the
Ivy had been removed and
prior to the garden being
reinstated.

Below:
The South Terrace Garden
reinstated joining the
east gardens (taken from
adjoining property Hythe).

Page 6
East (Entrance) Garden

Right:
The East (Entrance) Garden
showing the Ivy growing all
over the garage and nearby
plants before work began.
The area immediately
adjacent to the main (east)
entrance was being used as
a car park.

Below:
The East Entrance Garden
with Fern Walk now
provides a magnificent
welcome to Sotherton.

Page 7
East (Entrance) Garden

Right:
This area was devoid of
any true garden and, as
stated before, had been
reduced to a car park.
The huge tree in the
foreground was removed
by the neighbour as it was
deemed dangerous.

Below:
The East (Entrance) Garden
joins the South Terrace
Garden to form a lush and
welcoming area.

Page 8