Mannerim Memorial Indigenous Garden
The Mannerim Memorial Indigenous Garden (MMIG) was officially opened on Remembrance Day 2017, as a place for peaceful reflection. The gardens are a culmination of a broad and massive community effort.
Working with the Trustees of the site, Bellarine Landcare and Bellarine Police, along with Mannerim CFA and many local individuals utilised grants from Department of Veteran Affairs and City of Greater Geelong to create the gardens.
The Garden is on the site of the original Memorial Hall which was built in 1923, next to Mannerim Station. The Roll of Honour from the hall was used as the basis of the memorial stone, which has etched upon it the names of the 67 young Mannerim Men who served and the 16 who died.
The garden was specifically designed to utilise Indigenous plants while symbolically honouring the soldiers. Bollards within the garden, use QR codes to link to further details of the soldiers and their stories of WW1. Mannerim Memorial History Boards
The wooden flagpole, which stands on the central axis of the Mannerim Memorial Indigenous Gardens, originally stood at the Queenscliff RSL since the 1920s.
The pine tree in is from a seed taken from the tree above at the Australian War Memorial. It, along with a couple of sprigs of Rosemary, is the only plant not indigenous to the Bellarine.
The policy is that no other exotic plants will be planted. Also only those who served are named in the garden, contributors are named and thanked elsewhere.
The Mannerim Memorial Indigenous Gardens are maintained by regular working bees.
A Remembrance Day Service is held at MMIG every year on 11th November.
