About

We are a small member based charity, registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC), whose charitable purposes are focused on education and the environment. 

In 2023, we are celebrating our 50th anniversary as a group (although we only became an incorporated association in the early 2000s and a charity in 2019). We currently have around 100 members, mostly based in Victoria, but some in other states of Australia, particularly NSW and South Australia. 

Our original charitable funds came from a bequest from two of our founding members, Barbara and Philip Gordon, who were siblings and gardened for most of their adult life at Olinda. They were an inspirational pair, who placed a strong emphasis on education, learning and the dissemination of knowledge about plants and horticulture, particularly the growing and propagating of rare plant gems. 

Our members are gardeners, botanists and horticulturalists who are interested in alpine, woodland and saxatile  plants and bulbs and the environments in which they grow. We usually hold 'hybrid' meetings once a month (usually the fourth Saturday of the month) via zoom and in person at the Olinda Community Hall, where we offer lectures on a wide variety of subjects related to plants, gardens and the natural world. Both members and non-members are welcome to attend our lectures. We also recently established a specialist 'Crocus Sub Group' for people who have a passionate interest in the crocus genus. 

Part of our mission is to encourage our members and the broader community to grow alpine, woodland and saxatile plants and bulbs from seed. We hold a members seed exchange each year and members share plants raised from seed or propagated via cuttings at our annual December 'Bunfight' event, which was started by the Gordons in the 1970s and has been held annually ever since. Many of our members also belong to similar organisations around the world including the Alpine Garden Society (UK), the Scottish Rock Garden Club (SRGC), the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS) and the Cyclamen Society. 

From time to time we raise funds through events, such as garden visits, seed and plant sales, and hosting conferences.

The AGSVG also offers grants as part of its charitable work. 

Through the Australian Alpine Education and Research Grants program, we are currently funding a range of projects with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Raising Rarity at Cranbourne - 2 projects; and an investigation into Celmisia sericophylla plant communities), LaTrobe University (resurveying Maisie's Plots in the Australian Alps), Deakin University (investigation into the propagation and cultivation of the Baw Baw Berry, Wittsteinia vacciniacea) and the ANU (supporting PhD studies into alpine plant pollinators and snowgum die back). Here are links to two previously funded project:

• a flora guide to Mount Hotham 
• a citizen science project monitoring snowpatch vegetation communities at Falls Creek and Mount Hotham run in association with LaTrobe University. If you visit Falls Creek or Mount Hotham you will find interpretative boards about the project and 'camera cradles' where you too can take a photo of the snowpatch vegetation and upload your picture and be part of the project. 

If you would like more information about our monthly lectures or about our organisation you can contact us via email agsvicgroup@hotmail.com 

You can also find us on Instagram @agsvicgroup1