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Now in its fourth year, the Rivendell Flower and Garden Show will be held on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, 2020. The inaugural event took place in September 2017 and was the first event of its kind to be held in the beautiful grounds of Thomas Walker Estate in Concord.

Rivendell, as it is fondly known, is opened to the public during this weekend, showcasing our large scale flower and garden show to the Inner West Community. Bringing together floral displays and show gardens from community organisations, educational institutions, up and coming floral designers and gardening personalities, the Rivendell Flower and Garden Show allows the public to view spectacular displays and evokes an elegant mix of floral artistry, styling and design amidst the beautiful architecture of the estate grounds.

The Rivendell Flower and Garden Show is a celebration of spring, our Australian lifestyle and great outdoors, offering an extensive array of flower and gardening presentations and workshops. Guests have the opportunity to learn key floral arrangement techniques at the masterclasses and styling tips from key gardening and lifestyle personalities.

If you are a lover of flowers and garden displays, this is an event not to be missed!

HISTORY

One of Sydney's best kept secrets, the Thomas Walker, Rivendell Estate was the film location for Lex Luthor's mansion in Superman and was included in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, to name a few. It all began in 1822 when Thomas Walker arrived in Sydney from Leith, Scotland to work for his uncle. On the retirement of the senior partners, the business was transferred to Thomas, where he expanded the commercial interests. In 1860 Thomas married Jane Steel Hart and had one child, Eadith, in 1861.

Prior to Jane's death in 1870, Yaralla House was built as a family residence. When Thomas Walker died in 1886, his will left £100,000 to be allocated for the foundation of a Convalescent House to be built at Rocky Point, west of his Yaralla estate. Building commenced under the eyes of Eadith in 1891 and in 1893 the hospital was opened.

After opening, over 70,000 patients convalesced at the hospital, including servicemen from World War I and World War II. In 1977, the Rivendell Adolescent Unit led by founding director Professor Marie Bashir (later the Governor of NSW), was moved from its setting at Broughton Hall to the Thomas Walker Hospital which continues to benefit and treat 500 families every year.

Over a number of years, Rivendell's buildings and grounds have been used in several movies and television shows. These include Flirting, with Nicole Kidman and Noah Taylor, Bangkok Hilton with Nicole Kidman, The Man who Sued God with Billy Connolly, Judy Davis and Colin Friels and Superman Returns with Kevin Spacey and Brandon Routh. In the 1990's, Rivendell was even carpeted in a ‘blanket of snow' for a small outdoor scene in the movie, Lorenzo's Oil.

The Thomas Walker Estate is open once a year to the public and this year we are pleased to bring the Rivendell Flower and Garden Show to the local community once more.