Blossoming by the Frankston Line on Royal Avenue in Glen Huntly, a local has made a lasting impact on his community by creating the ‘Reflection Garden’.
John McKenna has lived in Glen Huntly for 30 years. He created a small public garden opposite his home in 2020, in memory of the 4 Victorian police officers who were tragically killed in a motor accident.
What started out as a few pot plants, with the help of the community, has turned into a beautiful garden spanning more than 50m between Glen Huntly and Ormond Station.
“It’s been a nice place for me to manage, to escape from monitors and screens and go across the road and check it out” John said.
When works ramped up on the Glen Huntly level crossing removals in 2023, the project team helped protect the reflection garden.
Working with John, the scope of the project changed and teams put in a fence along the rail corridor near the reflection garden to aid in safety.
“It brought joy to everybody, especially mums and dads with young kids, it made it a safer place for people to relax, knowing they are safe” he said.
The project donated off-cut concrete pipes from drainage works as accessible garden beds to the Reflection Garden.
“They made beautiful garden beds, allowing people with disabilities and children in prams to go up to it and put their hands in the dirt and have a bit of a play” John said.
The Reflection Garden continues to leave a lasting impact on the Glen Huntly community, with a dedicated group of volunteers, along with John, continuing to look after the community space.
The garden was recently featured on ABC’s Gardening Australia. Watch the segment on the ABC website.
The dangerous and congested level crossings at Glen Huntly and Neerim roads were removed in 2023, with the brand new Glen Huntly Station opening to passengers the same year.
In total 110 level crossings are being removed across Melbourne by 2030, with 84 already gone for good.
