Sue McDougall, the Queen of Kings Park
This week’s West Aussie Great is Sue McDougall, a 6PR favourite and director of the Western Australian Botanic Garden.
She shared her story on 6PR Breakfast with host Gareth Parker in the studio, including her upbringing on marginal farming land in the Wheatbelt.
“If you put a line between Perth and Esperance, our farm was at what we call Hollands Rock, south-east of Lake Grace,” she said.
“There were incredible wildflowers that grew there, very light country, new country that had been cleared in the early 60s… my dad bought his original farm for 10c an acre.”
She told Parker that agriculture and horticulture were always going to be a part of her life.
“My grandparents moved to Narrogin in 1904 and within that area on the land, I remember as a kid being fascinated by the taste of home-grown apricots, navel oranges, my grandma used to grow dahlias, the most incredible wisteria,” she said.
“You know things that stick in your mind, it’s the smell of the wisteria in spring, and just the sound of the buzz, the incredible roses.”
LISTEN 👇 to some more of Sue’s childhood memories and her journey