The Bendigo Garden for the Future has made the shortlist for Parks and Leisure Australia’s ‘Park of the Year’ award. The new botanic garden in the regional city of Bendigo was designed by TCL with Paul Thompson and opened to the public in May 2018. The design draws upon the cultural clues of the site – the historical farming of land by the Indigenous populations, the deep historical geological patterns, the ‘puddling’ during the gold rush era and the market gardens that followed – to create a framework within which to host the gardens. The garden contains a stage and sculptural grassed amphitheatre for outdoor performances and cinema, new facilities, and several gathering spaces for weddings and corporate functions. The central lawn is framed by a promenade that will host markets and events. “The brief for the Garden for the Future was to create a beautiful, engaging and adaptable contemporary garden. It was to celebrate the cultural identity of Bendigo, and to respond to, and lead the community in an era of climate change,” said TCL Director Lisa Howard. The PLA Park of the Year award will be announced Thursday 16 May at RACV Cape Schanck resort. View the project here.