Latest news with #Seddon
The Advertiser
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
British Lions honour original skipper Robert Seddon at Australian gravesite
British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland, NSW on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter region, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond is, I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site ever since. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland, NSW on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter region, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond is, I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site ever since. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland, NSW on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter region, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond is, I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site ever since. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland, NSW on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter region, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond is, I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site ever since. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history."
The Advertiser
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
British Lions honour original skipper Robert Seddon, who died in 1888 in Maitland
British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history." British Lions chairman Ieuan Evans and Australian Rugby Union CEO Phil Waugh joined in Maitland on Sunday to pay tribute to the first Lions captain Robert Seddon. Seddon, 28, tragically drowned in a boating accident in the Hunter River on August 15, 1888, and he was buried in Maitland the next day, with the funeral one of the largest held in the city to that time. The Lions returned to Maitland for the first time on the tour of 1899 and have continued a tradition in recent times with visits on the tours of 1989, 2001 and 2013. lining the streets in tribute. About 50 members of the rugby community, with representatives from the Lions, Rugby Australia, Rugby NSW, Hunter Rugby and individual clubs from across the Hunter, gathered at the Telerah cemetery for a moving ceremony on Sunday. The visit came after the Lions overcame a spirited NSW Waratahs to win 21-10 in Sydney on Saturday night. Evans said the British and Irish Lions were eternally grateful to the Maitland Rugby Club for their stewardship of Seddon's grave site. "It is a thrill to be here as Lion 616 and pay due respects to Lion 11, Robert Seddon. "He died so tragically but made such an awfully important contribution to our legacy. "Legacy is important for the game, but for Lions in particular. "We shine a very powerful beacon wherever we travel, and for this moment, it is on the Maitland Rugby Club and this graveyard where we pay respects to our very first leader. Waugh paid tribute to the Maitland Blacks for continuing to maintain Seddon's grave site. "Robert Seddon was the Lions' first ever captain, and he lost his life at the tender age of 28 in a sculling accident," Waugh said. "Robert was a remarkable athlete. Capped three times for England, he scored tries for the Lions against teams including Auckland and NSW and even kicked goals in Aussie Rules games against Bendigo and Port Adelaide. "He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013." Waugh said the rugby union community from opposite sides of the world was united at the cemetery. "To stand here 137 years later paying tribute to a lost member of the rugby family speaks to the remarkable bond we share. The universal bond, is I believe, our greatest strength," he said. Maitland Blacks president Pat Howard said the club had ever since honoured a pledge to maintain Seddon's grave site. "It's a poignant part of our history, the links between Robert Seddon and the Maitland Rugby Club," Howard said. "I've been hearing of so many former tours when the Lions have come out to visit their captain in Maitland, including the 1913 tour. "The story of Robert Seddon is one we hold dear to our hearts. We look after his grave in honour of that, and it's a really important part of our history."
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
To tackle housing crisis, planners threaten future of Aussie suburb no one knew existed
Just 6km west of Melbourne is a beautiful suburb few people actually know exists. When I moved to Seddon, I developed impostor syndrome. White picket fences and well-tended rose gardens stand in front of single-storey Victorian workers' cottages and Edwardian terrace houses. There's little traffic in this Melbourne suburb, so kids can play footy on the streets, and at local parks, pubs and cafes, you'll always bump into someone you know. The first sign that Seddon was set to be dramatically changed was a one-page pamphlet dropped in letterboxes by Victoria's planning authority. What alarmed residents like me is that the map it contained didn't even mention Seddon by name. With the stroke of a Sharpie, bureaucrats had drawn a line around the suburb, incorporating it into a high-rise development plan for neighbouring suburbs, sparking concerns that planners in Melbourne didn't even know we existed. Residents expectedly turned to their local Facebook group to debate the proposal. 'This is infuriating,' one person wrote. 'I don't want any high rises destroying the beautiful community feel we have created,' another said. But others seemingly backed the plan with one saying, 'Living inner city means inevitable change'. Related: 'Error' discovered in Melbourne's new housing plan Seddon has provisionally been zoned into an Activity Centre, as part of a program designed by the Victorian government to 'shake up' planning laws within 1km of designated train stations. Because Seddon is less than 1km in size, nearly all of the suburb fits into the Middle Footscray station zone, meaning some of it could be zoned at a whopping 12 storeys, while the fringes will likely be zoned for three storeys. Creating more housing close to public transport where people want to live has merit. Of course, not everyone agrees — protests broke out after residents in affluent Brighton learned they were getting an Activity Centre — and 60 suburbs have now been slated for the program. Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny indicated she wants feedback from the community. But it's been a challenge to get specific information about how residents can appeal the plans, or if each suburb's character will be protected. When I contacted her department it refused to be interviewed, so I sent 10 questions about what the Activity Centre plan would specifically mean for Seddon. Two weeks and 15 emails later, it responded with a two-line statement that didn't mention Seddon by name. 'We've kicked off consultation this month on the next 25 train and tram zones — including for West Footscray, Tottenham and Middle Footscray stations,' it read. "We want to work with communities to ensure more Victorians have the opportunity to live close to public transport, their loved ones, and the things that matter to them.' Seddon was named in honour of New Zealand's premier Richard Seddon after his death in 1906, but it didn't become a suburb until 1999, and it still doesn't have its own postcode. It's a place that not many people know about, but it's always been very important to those who live Mulready This isn't the first time development has threatened to destroy the suburb. In the 1970s, there were plans to turn quiet Pilgrim Street into a busy freeway-like road. Local historian Pamela Mulready explained this would have resulted in the loss of hundreds of homes, and intersected the town. 'That had a terrible effect on the area, because it all became depressed. There was no future, so a lot of people moved out. Businesses wound up, and people sold their houses at reduced prices,' she said. The town has long been an ALP stronghold, and party-affiliated councillors successfully fought against the road plan. And the drop in house prices did have one positive — it opened up opportunities for migrants and today there's an abundance of languages spoken here, including Vietnamese, Italian, Chinese and Macedonian. Late in May, the planning department hosted an online meeting so community members could ask questions of their experts. But questions were grouped together by a moderator and many residents complained about a lack of specificity in answers. 'What we expected: a whole heap of clever avoidance, vagueness and no obvious signs of future accountability,' one person wrote. 'A lot of carefully planned and rehearsed answers telling you nothing,' another said. 'I asked directly about building heights, twice, on Victoria Street and they literally did not answer,' someone else added. It's not that I'm a NIMBY, a Not In My Backyard resident who advocates for change elsewhere but not where I live. Planning should be bold. But I fear change without detail. Melbourne's west already faces problems with pollution, overpopulated schools, a lack of parking and few green spaces. Seddon is relatively safe, although my copper pipes were stolen the week before we moved in and across the road, a house was burgled this week. There is a perception Melbourne as a city is struggling to combat crime, with machete attacks in shopping centres and aggravated burglaries making the news this month. Many residents are concerned about increasing density while the streets are unsafe. Plan to reintroduce wild animals into Australia's major cities Stark new divide emerges among homeowners Photos show huge problem facing Melbourne When I attended a follow-up community meeting at the West Footscray library, planning staff were writing down notes on Post-it notes, and adding them to a map. There were pictures on the wall of how they imagine the suburb could one day look — no Victorian cottages or rose gardens to be seen, only tightly-built modern townhouses. One staff member admitted they hadn't expected the uproar, admitting Seddon was only included in the map because of its proximity to Middle Footscray station, not because the suburb itself was somehow well-suited for an Activity Centre. Another said they'd heard the response from residents 'loud and clear'. Whether Seddon will even be included in the final Activity Centre plan for West Footscray, Tottenham and Middle Footscray stations is unclear. New housing around Melbourne's west is essential, but amenities are needed first. One project approved under the previous Liberal government was dubbed the worst development in Melbourne and planning laws remain problematic. Residents in the west want the character of their suburbs respected, and developers prevented from taking shortcuts. The vague suggestion that Seddon could be incorporated into plans for three larger suburbs has caused a panic. The government claims the changes will be gradual, but the planning department has revealed its being pressured to hurry through the process and work through any feedback from residents by the end of 2026. There is no doubt much-needed housing will be created, developers will get rich, some residents will make a fortune selling their rezoned land, and businesses will gain new customers. But whether the Activity Centre ultimately helps or hinders the community of Seddon will be revealed when details are eventually made available to its residents. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
The Age
06-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Age
It's about planning ahead: Kate Seddon's switch from advertising to landscape designer
This story is part of the June 7 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Garden design is a collegiate affair for Kate Seddon. This she makes clear from the moment we sit down in the kitchen of her Victorian home in Melbourne's south-east – everything she does is a team enterprise, her business name, Kate Seddon Landscape Design (KSLD), aside. 'We work across all projects together, from the start to the finish,' she tells me, over a pot of tea and a plate of delicious home-made biscuits. 'I don't want this to sound like it's just about me.' Over the past two decades, the 50-something designer has made a name for herself creating dazzling private gardens for the well-heeled in Brighton, Caulfield North, Northcote, Hawthorn, Richmond, Fitzroy North, South Yarra and Toorak. There are also projects on the Mornington Peninsula and in Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine. 'I don't want to spread myself too thinly, with a two hours' drive the max,' says the mother-of-two matter-of-factly. 'A sense of place and understanding the local terrain is extremely important.' She recently completed a garden for a new two-storey house at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula, which falls within the designer's self-imposed geographical boundaries. Although the former cottage was demolished, the owners of the property were mindful that the locals loved the cottage-style garden. Rather than clear the site and start from scratch, Seddon and her team retained a number of the original trees, such as coast banksia and willow myrtle. She also brought in a few 30-year-old olive trees, replanted from another property. 'These established trees come with gnarled trunks and the structure is beautiful,' says Seddon, who likes to use a combination of native and exotic species, selecting the most appropriate plants for the site as much as for the climate. She often clips certain species to add form, allowing a looser arrangement to spill over them. For the Barwon Heads house, she used Elio cobblestones for pathways and a local sandy gravel for the driveway to complement the colours of the house bricks. It took Seddon some time to find her creative pathway, despite her pedigree. After finishing high school, she studied arts at the University of Melbourne, majoring in psychology. This was despite her late father, Chris Seddon, being a prominent architect, having done work for Sir Norman Foster's studio, including the iconic HSBC building in Hong Kong. 'I think architecture just seemed too close,' recalls Seddon, who pursued a career in advertising instead, working with companies such as Schofield Sherbon Baker (Leo Schofield, the cultural buff, was one of its directors). 'Advertising is a young person's field,' she notes. 'It's exciting, but it demands night and weekend work and is not particularly amenable for starting a family.' She bit the bullet and made a career change in 2002. 'I was always attracted to gardens and the broader world of design, given my father's career, and seeing numerous buildings on family holidays.' Seddon enrolled in a graduate diploma in horticulture and design offered by the University of Melbourne, located in Burnley on the banks of the Yarra River. 'From the first moment I arrived, I knew that I had made the right choice,' she says. 'The setting was magical. It's like a small botanic garden, full of birdlife, with a fabulous mid-20th century building. My lecturers were truly passionate and deep thinkers.' Landscape architect Andrew Laidlaw, who was one of many who taught Seddon and now works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, explains why she was dux of her year. 'Kate would always 'gobble up' as much information as she could, continually asking questions and always eager to learn more. I could tell even then that she would be successful. In this profession, you need to be a great listener. But you also need to have an innate ability to design. Most of the great landscape designers I know have little ego, and Kate is certainly not about her, but the work.' Like most new graduates, Seddon began with a small project, which was in the bayside suburb of Brighton – only a driveway and a side path to redesign. She brought in a copse of trees on one side and installed a meandering timber path leading to the front door at the side of the house. The meandering path was later implemented on a much larger scale for the Besen family's TarraWarra Museum, an hour's drive from Melbourne. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein'.' Among her many other projects: the landscaping for a mid-20th-century home in Caulfield North. The owner already had succulents and cacti dotted around the house. The pool's pebbled 'crusty and awkward lip' was removed and the pool retiled. One of the inspired choices was a curvaceous steel fence that enclosed the new crazy-paving, a style popular in the 1950s that matched the age of the home. The garden beds were also replanted and reshaped with kangaroo paw and coastal rosemary, along with native grasses. Closer to the city, she reworked the garden of a Victorian house in South Melbourne, which lacked a midpoint in the vista, with a swimming pool positioned at the very end of the backyard. Hence, her redesign included a new paved area in limestone and an alfresco dining area, with a pergola to screen a neighbouring church. Shutters that were no longer required in the house were fashioned into curved garden bench seats. For Seddon, it's not only understanding what her clients are looking for but also, as importantly, their dislikes. And rather than confuse the client with too many different schemes, she presents just one. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein',' says Seddon, who sees the importance of creating a 'dialogue' between the house and its garden rather than having different 'voices'. 'I think the best gardens happen when the clients also get involved, whether or not they put their fingers in the dirt.' Architect Anne Hindley, director of Hindley & Co, is currently working with Seddon on a property in Brighton. As well as refurbishing the house, the brief included screening the back garden from a palazzo directly behind. 'Kate's suggestion was to demolish the old pool house on the edge of the site, provide some dense planting and build a new pool house that would also accommodate the family's needs,' says Hindley. All gardens mature, of course, evolving with the seasons and as a family moves through their life cycle, but over time they can take on a different nature as properties change hands or owners imprint their own character. One that Seddon revisited three years after designing it introduced a series of garden gnomes across the front flower beds. Each plaster figure carried a ball or a cricket bat, lined up into teams. At another house, a Japanese-style bridge had appeared. But given the owners' children's affection for using it as a backdrop for fairy stories, the bridge was retained and enhanced with new plants around it. Loading Our interview over, Seddon shows me around her own back garden on this overcast afternoon. At the end, there's a separate nook where she stores plants. Some of these are waiting to be planted or perhaps used for a client's garden – she calls this spot her 'laboratory'. There are mounded plants such as Persian shield plants, Pittosporum ' Miss Muffet' and unusual sculptural and succulent plants sprinkled throughout. If there's one piece of advice Seddon can give, it's to plan ahead, as gardens can add considerable value to a home. Unlike building or renovating a house, gardens and landscaping more often than not are left as an afterthought. A fairly simple garden, including structures, can start at $80,000 and go anywhere up to a million dollars, and this needs to be factored in when building a house. What may seem a tidy sum initially can pay big dividends over the longer term.
Sydney Morning Herald
06-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Sydney Morning Herald
It's about planning ahead: Kate Seddon's switch from advertising to landscape designer
This story is part of the June 7 edition of Good Weekend. See all 14 stories. Garden design is a collegiate affair for Kate Seddon. This she makes clear from the moment we sit down in the kitchen of her Victorian home in Melbourne's south-east – everything she does is a team enterprise, her business name, Kate Seddon Landscape Design (KSLD), aside. 'We work across all projects together, from the start to the finish,' she tells me, over a pot of tea and a plate of delicious home-made biscuits. 'I don't want this to sound like it's just about me.' Over the past two decades, the 50-something designer has made a name for herself creating dazzling private gardens for the well-heeled in Brighton, Caulfield North, Northcote, Hawthorn, Richmond, Fitzroy North, South Yarra and Toorak. There are also projects on the Mornington Peninsula and in Bendigo, Ballarat and Castlemaine. 'I don't want to spread myself too thinly, with a two hours' drive the max,' says the mother-of-two matter-of-factly. 'A sense of place and understanding the local terrain is extremely important.' She recently completed a garden for a new two-storey house at Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula, which falls within the designer's self-imposed geographical boundaries. Although the former cottage was demolished, the owners of the property were mindful that the locals loved the cottage-style garden. Rather than clear the site and start from scratch, Seddon and her team retained a number of the original trees, such as coast banksia and willow myrtle. She also brought in a few 30-year-old olive trees, replanted from another property. 'These established trees come with gnarled trunks and the structure is beautiful,' says Seddon, who likes to use a combination of native and exotic species, selecting the most appropriate plants for the site as much as for the climate. She often clips certain species to add form, allowing a looser arrangement to spill over them. For the Barwon Heads house, she used Elio cobblestones for pathways and a local sandy gravel for the driveway to complement the colours of the house bricks. It took Seddon some time to find her creative pathway, despite her pedigree. After finishing high school, she studied arts at the University of Melbourne, majoring in psychology. This was despite her late father, Chris Seddon, being a prominent architect, having done work for Sir Norman Foster's studio, including the iconic HSBC building in Hong Kong. 'I think architecture just seemed too close,' recalls Seddon, who pursued a career in advertising instead, working with companies such as Schofield Sherbon Baker (Leo Schofield, the cultural buff, was one of its directors). 'Advertising is a young person's field,' she notes. 'It's exciting, but it demands night and weekend work and is not particularly amenable for starting a family.' She bit the bullet and made a career change in 2002. 'I was always attracted to gardens and the broader world of design, given my father's career, and seeing numerous buildings on family holidays.' Seddon enrolled in a graduate diploma in horticulture and design offered by the University of Melbourne, located in Burnley on the banks of the Yarra River. 'From the first moment I arrived, I knew that I had made the right choice,' she says. 'The setting was magical. It's like a small botanic garden, full of birdlife, with a fabulous mid-20th century building. My lecturers were truly passionate and deep thinkers.' Landscape architect Andrew Laidlaw, who was one of many who taught Seddon and now works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, explains why she was dux of her year. 'Kate would always 'gobble up' as much information as she could, continually asking questions and always eager to learn more. I could tell even then that she would be successful. In this profession, you need to be a great listener. But you also need to have an innate ability to design. Most of the great landscape designers I know have little ego, and Kate is certainly not about her, but the work.' Like most new graduates, Seddon began with a small project, which was in the bayside suburb of Brighton – only a driveway and a side path to redesign. She brought in a copse of trees on one side and installed a meandering timber path leading to the front door at the side of the house. The meandering path was later implemented on a much larger scale for the Besen family's TarraWarra Museum, an hour's drive from Melbourne. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein'.' Among her many other projects: the landscaping for a mid-20th-century home in Caulfield North. The owner already had succulents and cacti dotted around the house. The pool's pebbled 'crusty and awkward lip' was removed and the pool retiled. One of the inspired choices was a curvaceous steel fence that enclosed the new crazy-paving, a style popular in the 1950s that matched the age of the home. The garden beds were also replanted and reshaped with kangaroo paw and coastal rosemary, along with native grasses. Closer to the city, she reworked the garden of a Victorian house in South Melbourne, which lacked a midpoint in the vista, with a swimming pool positioned at the very end of the backyard. Hence, her redesign included a new paved area in limestone and an alfresco dining area, with a pergola to screen a neighbouring church. Shutters that were no longer required in the house were fashioned into curved garden bench seats. For Seddon, it's not only understanding what her clients are looking for but also, as importantly, their dislikes. And rather than confuse the client with too many different schemes, she presents just one. 'If you develop too many concepts, a design loses its strength and becomes a 'Frankenstein',' says Seddon, who sees the importance of creating a 'dialogue' between the house and its garden rather than having different 'voices'. 'I think the best gardens happen when the clients also get involved, whether or not they put their fingers in the dirt.' Architect Anne Hindley, director of Hindley & Co, is currently working with Seddon on a property in Brighton. As well as refurbishing the house, the brief included screening the back garden from a palazzo directly behind. 'Kate's suggestion was to demolish the old pool house on the edge of the site, provide some dense planting and build a new pool house that would also accommodate the family's needs,' says Hindley. All gardens mature, of course, evolving with the seasons and as a family moves through their life cycle, but over time they can take on a different nature as properties change hands or owners imprint their own character. One that Seddon revisited three years after designing it introduced a series of garden gnomes across the front flower beds. Each plaster figure carried a ball or a cricket bat, lined up into teams. At another house, a Japanese-style bridge had appeared. But given the owners' children's affection for using it as a backdrop for fairy stories, the bridge was retained and enhanced with new plants around it. Loading Our interview over, Seddon shows me around her own back garden on this overcast afternoon. At the end, there's a separate nook where she stores plants. Some of these are waiting to be planted or perhaps used for a client's garden – she calls this spot her 'laboratory'. There are mounded plants such as Persian shield plants, Pittosporum ' Miss Muffet' and unusual sculptural and succulent plants sprinkled throughout. If there's one piece of advice Seddon can give, it's to plan ahead, as gardens can add considerable value to a home. Unlike building or renovating a house, gardens and landscaping more often than not are left as an afterthought. A fairly simple garden, including structures, can start at $80,000 and go anywhere up to a million dollars, and this needs to be factored in when building a house. What may seem a tidy sum initially can pay big dividends over the longer term.
