This year, the Victorian Schools Garden Program introduced a School Garden Champion award for those unsung heroes of the school garden, the garden educator/volunteers who go above and beyond to make their school garden program thrive for the benefit of the students and school community.
To our surprise, we were thrilled to receive an impressive 24 nominees, but it made judging incredibly challenging as each nominee truly stood out, demonstrating exceptional dedication and going above and beyond in their role within their school garden.
List of 2024 School Garden Champion Award nominees:
| Bryan Hunter | Athol Road Primary School |
| Chris Flynn | Bayswater Secondary College |
| Jane Barnett | Carrum Primary School |
| Yvonne Kerr | Cheltenham East Primary School |
| Peter Falkner | Cohuna St Mary’s Primary School |
| Desley Insall | Collingwood College |
| Catherine Campbell | East Bentleigh Primary School |
| Kristyn Preen | Glen Waverley Secondary College |
| Kristyn Preen | Glen Waverley Secondary College |
| Cameron Adgar | Jackson School |
| Jane Honey | Mount Macedon Primary School |
| Steve Gray | Newborough East Primary School |
| Ann Skeete | Our Lady’s Primary School Surrey Hills |
| Andrew Walker | Parade College Bundoora |
| Cathryn Templeton | Red Rock Christian Colege |
| Aga Jones | Riddells Creek Primary School |
| Denise Webb | St Liborius Primary Eaglehawk |
| Frank Overberg | St Louis de Montfort’s PS, Aspendale |
| Franceen Inness | St Mary’s Primary Inglewood |
| Belinda White | Tanjil South Primary School |
| Karina Bruce | Vermont South Special School |
| Jill Dowling (Farmer) | Wandin Yallock Primary School |
| Allesha Gardner | Warrnambool East Primary School |
| Stephen McNeight | Wendouree Primary School |
2024 School Garden Champion – Bryan Hunter
An exceptional educator and a true school garden champion, Bryan has for over 12 years poured his heart into creating a vibrant, educational garden that has become a cornerstone of learning and sustainability at Athol Road Primary School in Springvale South.
Bryan not only teaches gardening and specialty skills like grafting, pruning, and espalier, but inspires curiosity, connecting students to nature. He has turned the garden into a hands-on classroom where students learn more than about plants but about sustainable living and innovative designs like aquaponics systems, crop rotation, vertical gardens, and wicking beds. He’s also enriched the ecosystem with bee hives, wetlands, and an onsite farm. He empowers students, listens to their ideas, and involves families through fresh produce markets and the Hunter Community Garden. His dedication goes beyond school days to weekends and holidays.
Bryan’s work has inspired students, staff, and families to appreciate the importance of sustainability and the beauty of nature.