First Nations Food Garden opens at Goodstart Hampton Park

A First Nations Food Garden (FNFG) opened earlier this month at Goodstart Early Learning Hampton Park Coral Drive, thanks to a 2024 community grant from the Victorian City of Casey.

The FNFG was officially opened on 5 April, with local families, children and community members in attendance, enjoying  lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle tea, along with scones flavoured with aniseed and cinnamon myrtle—offering everyone a taste of First Nations ingredients. 

Karen Sutherland from Edible Eden Design hosted a one-hour Q&A session, sharing her expertise on native plants and their benefits. Children were also invited to help with the planting. 

“The FNFG is an opportunity to teach children how to care for their environment, understand where food comes from, and see how looking after nature supports habitats for native animals and bees,” Centre Director Shweta said. 

“We also want to raise awareness of First Nations cultures and connection to Country.” 

In partnership with the Monash Health Promotion team, the service secured the City of Casey to grant to support the garden’s development. 

The initiative also builds on the service’s work through the Achievement Program. With support from the health promotion team, it uses a whole-of-service approach to embed health and well-being into everyday practices.