Lara’s Garden will be a public community garden, a space intended for gentle recreation; where young children can play in safety and peace; where all members of the community are invited to dream in a beautiful place.

Who is Lara and why create a garden?

Lara Gibson is our daughter, who died suddenly in her sleep in the early hours of 1 July 2009. We still do not know why or how she died.  She had just celebrated her third birthday.  Lara was a regular and enthusiastic member of Forsyth Park Playgroup, which meets weekly in the playground area at the Forsyth Park Community Centre.  Lara was a special, friendly, peaceful little girl who brought joy into our lives from the moment of her birth.  Her loss is shattering.

On hearing of Lara’s death, the mothers in Lara’s playgroup, one of whom is a landscape designer, approached North Sydney Council with a view to creating a public community garden.  We were touched and delighted by their suggestion – and by their continued support of us as a family – and we look forward to turning this plan into a reality – with the council’s support.

Next steps

We intend to consult with the community – through letter box drops and doorknocking of the immediate surrounds, and hopefully through the local media.  It is our desire that this be an inclusive project, open to anyone who wants to help, in any way.  It has been the support of our own community – our family, friends and neighbours – that has been key to our own survival these past four sad months, and this is one way we can give back to that community.

Contact details

If you have any questions about Lara's Garden or want to know further information, we can also be contacted via email at larasgarden2009@gmail.com.

Kind regards

Robert and Anna Gibson