Gail Catlin; South African 1948-; Tree
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Notes : In the heart of Claremont, Cape Town lies the 177-year-old Arderne Gardens and Arboretum. It is a rare botanical jewel (still fairly unknown), of exotic trees from around the world. It has 5 of the 92 giant Champion Trees of South Africa and is of unique international significance as it has arguably the finest collection in the world of mature trees (100+years), descended from the ancient (200 million years ago) Super Continent of Gondwana. Ralph Arderne, a successful timber merchant, purchased the land from the historic Stellenberg farm in 1845 with the vision to create "a garden of trees from all over the world." By 1900, with the help of his son Henry, it was a famous world Arboretum and garden. The proceeds of the present lot will benefit the preservation of the Aderne Gardens. Fortunately, the City Council purchased the property in 1927 as a Public Park for Claremont and in doing so saved this rare collection of trees. It became a much-loved park for the varied communities who lived nearby. It still is a venue for traditional wedding photos. Until 1960 it was well cared for by the Director of Parks who lived there. Two major impacts, however, followed which led to a drastic 40-year decline in the park. The first was the impact of the cruel Group Areas Acts of the 1960s and 70s, which removed 85% of the park users from the surrounding areas. The second was the neglect and inability of the Council to manage a rare Arboretum of over 400 trees. Into this jungle stepped undesirable elements, so much so that it became a no-go area for the general public. By 2004 the situation had become so untenable that The Friends of the Arderne Gardens were formed. By 2013 it realised it had to offer the City its own Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Arborist's experience and skills, and its own gardeners. The "Renaissance of the Arderne Gardens Project" was launched In 2014. In 8 years it has transformed and returned the Gardens to a beautiful and safe Community Park. It has safeguarded these rare trees and is planting more rare species for the next 175 years. It has so far raised over R5 million for this work but needs to continue to raise funds for the future existence of this gem. It is a wonderful example of public involvement in City affairs. The Friends of the Arderne Gardens are very grateful to the well-known artist Gail Catlin for the donation of this painting, inspired by the giants of the Arderne Gardens.
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