The Governor of Victoria Margaret Gardner (third from left) with guide Bernie Cook, Cactus Country staff and Moira Shire Council’s Leah McGrath and chief executive Matthew Morgan.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
The country has been graced with a touch of royalty, after a recent visit from none other than the representative of the King.
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The Governor of Victoria, Professor Margaret Gardner, visited businesses and towns across the Moira Shire as part of a tour of northern Victoria.
After enjoying a visit to Flavorite in Katunga and a guided tour of the cacti gardens at Strathmerton’s Cactus Country on Wednesday, August 13, the governor said she was most impressed with the communal pride shown by the people she’d encountered.
“You hear that pride in the things they tell you about,” Prof Gardner told The Courier.
“It’s a privilege to do these tours because what you get is a better appreciation of exactly what people are doing and what they value about what they do in Victoria.
“And you can’t really get that any other way but by going and engaging with them and seeing them at work, and so that’s really important.”
On her guided tour of the Cactus Country gardens, the governor was lead by Moira Shire Council team leader visitor services Leah McGrath and guide Bernie Cook.
Photo by
Owen Sinclair
The governor kicked off her Moira Shire tour with a visit to the Dharnya Centre, Barmah, before taking part in a 150th anniversary tree planting at Numurkah’s Rotary Park.
She later met with tomato growers in Katunga before stopping in at the largest cacti garden in Australia.
There, guide Bernie Cook walked her through the Africa section, explaining the different cacti forms on display.
Mr Cook said the governor was a friendly lady, warm and interested in the goings-on of the community.
“She was really impressed with the aloe cactus, or aloe section in the African section, which was flowering,” he said.
After her visit to Strathmerton, the governor continued her tour with visits to Yarrawonga and locations in Greater Shepparton later in the week.
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