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| Richard Barley has been appointed director of horticulture for the renowned Kew Gardens in England. |
Open Gardens Australia CEO and Woodend resident, Richard Barley, has been
appointed to a prestigious role at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, in
England.
Richard, who was previously director of Melbourne Gardens for the
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, will leave Australia in early July to take up
the newly created position of director of horticulture for the renowned Kew
Gardens.
"RBG Kew is widely regarded as the world's pre-eminent botanic
garden, with a rich history of over 250 years of being centrally involved in the
discovery, classification, documentation, growing, distribution and conservation
of the world's flora," Richard said. "Within a UNESCO World Heritage site of
around 300 acres it holds extraordinarily diverse plant collections, stunning
glasshouse structures and other significant landscape features.
"The
opportunity presented in the new role of director of horticulture at Kew is
irresistible."
The appointment continues a strong link between Australian and
British botanic gardens, with Professor Tim Entwisle recently returning from RBG
Kew to lead the RBG Melbourne, and the retirement last year of Professor Stephen
Hopper as executive director of RBG Kew to return to Western
Australia.
Richard said he is very proud of what Open Gardens Australia has
achieved over the past three years, and that it is well-equipped to move forward
into a new era of success, and support for Australia's gardening
community.
"It has given me great pleasure to play a role in writing the new
chapter of the OGA story," he said.
"Establishing our National Office in
Woodend has been a significant step forward, and we have a great team of
enthusiastic, talented staff working in there now."
Richard said that while
he has loved his work with OGA, he had no hesitation about accepting this new
appointment, which is open-ended.
"It is really a position almost without
parallel in the world, so there really was no hesitation on my part,
notwithstanding all the upheaval, but it is the dream job."
Richard's wife
Anita, a highly regarded botanical artist, and daughter, Georgina, will make the
move with him to Kew, and are equally excited about the opportunities it
presents.
"Kew has an incredibly rich tradition and history of botanical art
and is really seen as a centre for those disciplines. Anita is also particularly
looking forward to the whole diversity of artistic influences and opportunity in
the UK as well.
"Georgie is also very excited about the prospect of studying
in an English university and experiencing new perspectives.
"We look forward
to friends and acquaintances from Australia calling in to visit over in Kew," he
added.
