Kitchen Garden: Minders of Tuggeranong Homestead celebrate 30 years

On July 24 the Minders of Tuggeranong Homestead, all volunteers, celebrated their 30th anniversary. Rebecca Lamb, secretary and archivist of MOTH, showed us the rose marble fireplace, a gift from the household servants to James and Mary Cunningham on their 25th wedding anniversary in 1914, engraved with their initials. Mary chose a leadlight dormer window to bring sunshine into the room plus side lights and a chandelier to a Franco-Russian neoclassical design with frosted glass torches. It was restored to the homestead in 1999.

The property was acquired by the Commonwealth in 1917 to be used as a returned soldier rehabilitation hospice, subsequent Soldier Settler divisions and then occupied by historian C.E.W. (Charles) Bean writer of the war histories and his team.

In the welcoming kitchen is a second red marble fireplace. A large birthday cake illuminated with candles, was a gift from Gerry Nussio and Ann Filmer who have managed the property for eight years. MOTH chair Jenny Horsfield cut the cake and tea and coffee were served, all taken to outside tables beside lemon trees. There was also a generous platter of scones homemade by Ann Filmer and topped with jam and cream which we describe below.

The homestead and maid's quarters across a courtyard are both pise (rammed earth) buildings, very tactile. They are framed by grapevines, shrubs and pots of already flowering jonquils. Seen from the lawn is a water-filled dam and a paddock dotted with Gerry Nussio's black Angus cattle. There are huge water tanks atop timber supports and, through a gate, machinery sheds, and chook pens guarded by a tail-wagging Maremma dog Bruno. Gerry says 10-year-old Bruno "grew up to chooks" and he protects 15 of them, a duck and a rooster called Russell Crowe.

Colin French, grandson of John Balfour, MBE, who was a member of C.E.W. Bean's staff for many years, led the way down to the Tuggeranong Creek where MOTH have worked for a decade on a revegetation project of the creek line to restore it as a healthy waterway with ephemeral ponds to help to filter the water, remove sediment and algal levels.

Above the creek is the historic orchard which has been mown, slashed and weeded. There are self-sown plums from the original 19^th century stock during the early McCormack family era, golden and red plums, a walnut tree and nectarine. MOTH are replanting a pear, Kentish cherry and fig tree as these original trees were lost in the drought. The orchard is framed by two large English oaks (Quercus robur) planted to mark the birth of the Cunningham daughters.

Available to purchase at the meeting was orange marmalade, Rebecca Lamb had made the previous night, converted from a recipe in this column (Kitchen Garden, July 19) for lemon marmalade by Helen Stevens. It was tangy and delicious.

Functions are held regularly at Tuggeranong Homestead, especially corporate, birthday parties, farewells and weddings. Ann Filmer says there has been a cowboy party for which they decorated the shed and a Titanic party. They hold high teas on the second Sundays of the month, check their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Rebecca Lamb explained the large rock near the intersection of the entry driveway to the property. It came from the Harden property of Barry McCormack who "lumbered" it over on the back of his truck and rolled it into place. On its flat side is a commemorative plaque to Bean and his team. Rebecca referred to a "quincunx" or grove of five trees chosen by Dr Robert Boden to commemorate the theatres of conflict during the First World War. These are a French Tilia cordata, Aleppo pine, Lebanese cedar, Australian Blue gum and a red box.

Note: On August 13, Jenny Horsfield will be giving a talk on heritage and healing as part of the National Trust and Canberra and istrict Historical Association symposium at Llewellyn Hall from 9am-5pm. The theme is the important connections between volunteer involvement in the community and people's emotional and mental well being.

Ann Filmer didn't want to give too much away with her trusted recipe. Scone makers will know the ratios.

buttermilk

flour

thickened cream

lemonade

Ann's secrets: put thickened cream in bowl first, make sure lemonade is really cold, add flour and buttermilk but do not mix too much. Allow to rise. Cut scone shapes with metal not glass.

Jam: all berries which are in your fridge - raspberries, strawberries and blueberries with apple and a touch of lemon.

Cream: thickened cream with vanilla bean, icing sugar and butterscotch schnapps.