Kyeemagh Market Gardens facts for kids

The Kyeemagh Market Gardens are special gardens in Kyeemagh, New South Wales, Australia. People have been growing food here since 1892! These gardens are so important that they are now a heritage-listed site. This means they are protected because of their history and value. You might also hear them called the Occupation Road Market Gardens, Chinese Market Gardens, or Rockdale Market Gardens.

A Look Back: How the Gardens Began

The Kyeemagh Market Gardens have a long and interesting past. Farmers started growing vegetables here around 1892. At first, different groups of people worked the land. Later, Italian and Maltese gardeners used these areas. Since the 1980s, Chinese market gardeners have leased the site. They continue to grow fresh produce there today.

What the Gardens Look Like

The Kyeemagh Market Gardens cover about 8 hectares (20 acres) of land. This area is located near the Cooks River, Occupation Road, and Bestic Street. It is divided into four main garden sections. There are also seven buildings on the site. Some of these buildings were once homes. Now, they are used for living, storing tools, and packing vegetables.

Buildings at the Gardens

Let's take a closer look at some of the buildings:

Lot 4 Cottage

This building is a simple cottage made of weatherboard. It has a sloped roof made of corrugated iron. The sides and back of the building are covered in metal sheets. You can still see the original timber structure underneath. The front porch, called a verandah, has a timber floor. There are two windows on either side of the main door. These windows are made of wood and have six panes of glass. They look like they are original to the building. There is also a brick addition and a new corrugated iron shed at the back.

Sheds Between Lots 4 and 3

Between two of the garden sections, Lots 4 and 3, you can find several corrugated iron sheds. These sheds are quite old and are in poor condition. Some of them have almost fallen down.

Lot 3 Cottage

Lot 3 also has a simple weatherboard cottage. It looks very similar to the one on Lot 4. The ends of its verandah are closed off with timber. The windows and other details are like those on the Lot 4 cottage. This building also has a corrugated iron and timber addition on one side. Both of these cottages seem to be from the late 1800s.

Lot 2 Shed

On Lot 2, there is a corrugated iron shed. It has a sloped roof and an addition on the side. It is hard to tell exactly how old this shed is. Some of the corrugated iron has been replaced over time.

As of 1998, the Kyeemagh Market Gardens were still actively growing food. The site is mostly unchanged. Many of the old buildings are still standing and look much like they did when they were first built.

Why These Gardens Are Special

The Kyeemagh Market Gardens are very important for several reasons. They show how land has been used for farming for a long time. They also highlight the contributions of different communities, especially the Chinese community, to farming in New South Wales.

A Continuous Story

These gardens are historically important because they have been used for farming since the late 1800s. This shows a continuous pattern of land use. They also tell us about the growth of local farming. The gardens are linked to early Chinese and European immigrants. They show how different groups influenced local industries.

Beautiful and Unique

The Kyeemagh Market Gardens are also special because they are a working farm that has survived. They are still here even with all the modern buildings around them. The old weatherboard cottages on Lots 3 and 4 are great examples of simple, country-style buildings from the Victorian era.

Important to the Community

These gardens have a strong social meaning. They are connected to early immigrant communities, especially the Chinese community. The gardens played a big part in feeding people in the local area. This was especially true during tough times like the Great Depression and after the World Wars.

Learning from the Past

The Kyeemagh Market Gardens can teach us a lot. They show us old farming methods. The buildings on the site also give clues about how things were done in the past. This makes them valuable for research.

Rare and Lasting

Market gardens like Kyeemagh are becoming very rare. Most have been replaced by new buildings. These gardens are particularly important because they have been used continuously from the late 1800s until today. This makes them a unique part of New South Wales' history.