Life membership — Nola McKeon

Nola McKeon has been a member of the Society since 2008 and is the Coordinator of the Society’s Propagation Group (Prop Group). Nola has been tireless in her work to promote the Objects and Purposes of the Society and is a worthy recipient of Life Membership of the Society. Nola spends many hours caring for and promoting native plants in their conservation and garden use. The plants propagated by Prop Group under Nola’s guidance and leadership are a major activity for the Society.

From as early as 2012 Nola has been a major contributor to the Society. Nola was a regular minder of the Society’s Weetangera propagation site in 2012 and by 2017 Nola was coordinating Prop Group activities. In 2017 the Weetangera site closed down and the shade house and plants were moved to Phil Price’s home in Cook. When he decided to sell in 2019 Nola was instrumental in moving the propagation facilities to the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Bruce campus. Ian Tranter, John Robertson and particularly Peter Woodbury were involved in the physical moving. Nola also led discussions with CIT officials to work out arrangements to enable the move to take place. Shortly after Nola took over running the CIT site.

While Nola runs the CIT site, the Society’s Prop Group operates at two sites and Nola helps coordinate activities across both, the other being a site run by Life Members Lyndal Thorburn and Tom Jordan in Greenleigh. Nola coordinates and organises Prop Group activities by: planning work activities; sending out reminder notices and promoting working bees in the Bulletin; checking and ensuring accuracy in labelling of plants propagated; collecting member attendance records for each working bee; preparing reports on Prop Group activities; updating attendees and seeking input and suggestions on any issues or plans for the group; participating in discussions of propagation methods and best practice. She also provides many cuttings from her own garden to be propagated.

Unlike the broader Prop Group organisation work that Nola does she spends many hours doing less obvious work. Specifically for the CIT site Nola maintains the propagation set-up, frequently checking the hot bed operation and watering systems which are prone to problems; checking plant health; organising repairs when needed including arranging for an upgrade to the electronic watering system; ordering materials; and liaising with CIT Horticulture staff regarding the ANPSC area within the shared facilities. Due to Nola’s organisational skills and inclusive nature, regular attendees at CIT’s working bees have increased from 8 in 2021–22 to around 14 in 2024–25. Beyond the obvious Society activities Nola also organises, runs and staffs the Society’s stall at the annual CIT Horticultural plant sale.