During the drought of 2008, the Bickleigh Vale residents were very concerned about what was happening to the precious roadside vegetation and what they could do about it. This eventually lead to the existing Bickleigh Vale Residents Association being reformed as a “Friends Group” affiliated with the Victorian Environment Friends Network. The “Friends of Edna Walling at Bickleigh Vale” was formed and continues today.
Friends of Edna Walling - What Are We All About?
By Chris Jones, published in "Bickleigh Vale Village News", August 2025
Friends of Edna Walling was formed by the residents of Bickleigh Vale many years ago after Edna Walling left and moved to Buderim, Queensland, and the remaining property owners became caretakers of the village, including its roadside verges.
In the early years, the residents’ group was known as the Bickleigh Vale Residents Association, until in early 2008, they were advised to become affiliated with a “Friends Group” in order to secure funding to create a recovery plan for the severely drought-affected roadside vegetation. After a lot of hard work led by then Secretary and “general-sorter-outerer”, Lois Dolphin, they were accepted by the Victorian Environmental Friends Network and the name “Bickleigh Vale Residents Association” was replaced with “Friends of Edna Walling” at Bickleigh Vale Heritage Village.
Whether the name was “Bickleigh Vale Residents Association” or “Friends of Edna Walling”, the purpose remained the same and can be summarised as “Preserving and maintaining the Place, Heritage and Community that makes Bickleigh Vale that special, thriving village community within suburban Melbourne that it is today.” Critical to this is preserving and maintaining Edna’s Vision through the picturesque dwellings, roadside bushland, shady trees and overflowing gardens which reach those roadways. As Friends of Edna Walling, we see it as our obligation to do everything we can to enhance and maintain the beauty which was originally developed and inspired by Australia's foremost landscape artist.
So how do we go about this? We have meeting minutes in our records that go back over thirty-five years and it’s clear that residents used to meet to work together on village issues well before that. Reading through those historic records also shows that the issues of concern to residents over the years have often been very similar to those we face today - as have been agreement and disagreement between residents on how to resolve those issues!
In any community such as ours, working through these issues is always a balancing act. Friends of Edna Walling is made up of residents, each with differing views and priorities despite sharing a common vision. Each person’s opinion and ideas are equally valid and progress can only be made through cooperation, respect and tolerance under the umbrella of that common vision. That’s how volunteering works in a village like ours!
The key to success will always come through communications, respect and maintaining a shared vision.
About Friends Groups
Friends groups, and groups with similar objectives, work in a great variety of natural situations - coastal sites, bush, grasslands, watercourses or wetlands. They operate in conjunction with the relevant management authority, usually Parks Victoria, a municipal Council, or some other organisation such as the Trust for Nature.
Every group is independent and autonomous. Some are incorporated and have a formal constitution and membership structure, others operate informally, with no membership fee.
While each group will have its own specific objectives, these will include, in broad terms:
• Providing support for the reserve or species.
• Assisting with special projects selected by the Friends in consultation with the appropriate management authority.
• Bringing into contact people with a common interest in the reserve or species.
• Fostering public awareness of the reserve or species.
• Supporting the effective management of native flora and fauna in Victoria
Friends of Edna Walling at Bickleigh Vale Village - Main Activities
Supporting the Bickleigh Vale village environment and preserving it’s heritage through:
Friends of Edna Walling - What Are We All About?
By Chris Jones, published in "Bickleigh Vale Village News", August 2025
Friends of Edna Walling was formed by the residents of Bickleigh Vale many years ago after Edna Walling left and moved to Buderim, Queensland, and the remaining property owners became caretakers of the village, including its roadside verges.
In the early years, the residents’ group was known as the Bickleigh Vale Residents Association, until in early 2008, they were advised to become affiliated with a “Friends Group” in order to secure funding to create a recovery plan for the severely drought-affected roadside vegetation. After a lot of hard work led by then Secretary and “general-sorter-outerer”, Lois Dolphin, they were accepted by the Victorian Environmental Friends Network and the name “Bickleigh Vale Residents Association” was replaced with “Friends of Edna Walling” at Bickleigh Vale Heritage Village.
Whether the name was “Bickleigh Vale Residents Association” or “Friends of Edna Walling”, the purpose remained the same and can be summarised as “Preserving and maintaining the Place, Heritage and Community that makes Bickleigh Vale that special, thriving village community within suburban Melbourne that it is today.” Critical to this is preserving and maintaining Edna’s Vision through the picturesque dwellings, roadside bushland, shady trees and overflowing gardens which reach those roadways. As Friends of Edna Walling, we see it as our obligation to do everything we can to enhance and maintain the beauty which was originally developed and inspired by Australia's foremost landscape artist.
So how do we go about this? We have meeting minutes in our records that go back over thirty-five years and it’s clear that residents used to meet to work together on village issues well before that. Reading through those historic records also shows that the issues of concern to residents over the years have often been very similar to those we face today - as have been agreement and disagreement between residents on how to resolve those issues!
In any community such as ours, working through these issues is always a balancing act. Friends of Edna Walling is made up of residents, each with differing views and priorities despite sharing a common vision. Each person’s opinion and ideas are equally valid and progress can only be made through cooperation, respect and tolerance under the umbrella of that common vision. That’s how volunteering works in a village like ours!
The key to success will always come through communications, respect and maintaining a shared vision.
About Friends Groups
Friends groups, and groups with similar objectives, work in a great variety of natural situations - coastal sites, bush, grasslands, watercourses or wetlands. They operate in conjunction with the relevant management authority, usually Parks Victoria, a municipal Council, or some other organisation such as the Trust for Nature.
Every group is independent and autonomous. Some are incorporated and have a formal constitution and membership structure, others operate informally, with no membership fee.
While each group will have its own specific objectives, these will include, in broad terms:
• Providing support for the reserve or species.
• Assisting with special projects selected by the Friends in consultation with the appropriate management authority.
• Bringing into contact people with a common interest in the reserve or species.
• Fostering public awareness of the reserve or species.
• Supporting the effective management of native flora and fauna in Victoria
Friends of Edna Walling at Bickleigh Vale Village - Main Activities
Supporting the Bickleigh Vale village environment and preserving it’s heritage through:
- quarterly working bees by residents along Bickleigh Vale Road and Edna Walling Lane to keep them in pristine condition
- working with Yarra Ranges Council to replace dead and dying roadside vegetation with appropriate plants
- managing visitor events to maximize the experience of the visitors whilst preserving the environment
- creating and maintaining this website to help increase public awareness of the special nature of Bickleigh Vale village