Congratulations
John Arnott and David Sole
The BGANZ Honour Roll is a prestigious recognition awarded to members who have made a profound and lasting contribution to BGANZ for the betterment of botanic gardens and arboreta across Australia and New Zealand. Inductees are celebrated for their exceptional contributions, leadership, and dedication to the sector.
Some words from John Arnott…
Hello everyone. I just wanted to reach out to express my gratitude and appreciation for being inducted into the BGANZ Honour Roll. I’m not usually at a loss for words, but at the Congress Dinner last week, I was truly speechless and, well completely overwhelmed!
My association with BGANZ goes back to 2003, when Geelong Botanic Gardens hosted the first BGANZ Congress. At that time, I was the Curator at GBG and being involved in organising the event ‘supercharged’ my involvement with BGANZ, allowing me to build lasting relationships and continue forming new ones ever since.
Any successes that I may have had over 45 years of public gardens horticulture are thanks to the dedicated teams of horticulturists I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside.
I also wanted to highlight the continued support from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to BGANZ. Phil Moors and Chris Russell, both CEOs of RBGV and former BGANZ Chairs, saw the real value in building a strong network of botanic gardens. Thanks to their encouragement, I was able to weave BGANZ initiatives as an extension to my role of Manager Horticulture at the Cranbourne Gardens, alongside volunteering many extra hours to BGANZ activities and initiatives over the years.
I love this network and what it stands for. What an amazing ride!
With many thanks,
John A
Some words from David Sole…
Nominations for the BGANZ Honour Roll are accepted year-round, though self-nominations are not permitted. A nominated person’s outstanding service to BGANZ will be evaluated within the following guidelines.
- The nominee has made a significant contribution that has supported the listed aims
of BGANZ over a minimum period of 6 years and - The nominee has made a significant contribution to BGANZ that has realised a
tangible outcome or benefit for BGANZ and the botanic garden industry
For full details on eligibility and the nomination process, please refer to the official guidelines.
