NEAF Study Day: Gardens in Antiquity

Gardens lie at the heart of the human story, if we consider origins and Eden. Certainly, gardens in some form have been a part of the human condition since the Neolithic. Early gardens were probably attached to household compounds and helped feed families.

Over time some gardens became larger, more elaborate in layout, and symbolic in intent. In some cases, the garden came to symbolize the ideal of settled life – a place of quiet, beauty and safety – where order reigned with chaos controlled.

Rulers came to define themselves by the size and quality of their gardens, and cities gloried in their public garden spaces.

This study day has two purposes. The first is to present some new ideas and new research on gardens in antiquity. The second is to celebrate NEAF’s past president Maree Browne OAM, previous Lecturer in the History of Landscape at the University of NSW, and tireless worker for NEAF/Pella for more than 40 years.