News
President's Message
President Report – AGM 2024
Going Forward – Association of Australian Bonsai Clubs Limited
The past year has been one of continuing to support our now 48 member clubs across Australia. Bonsai Clubs Australia is just that now as the several New Zealand clubs that were AABC members accepted the Executive’s decision that they would no longer be member clubs of the Association from 1 July 2024. The NZ clubs thanked the AABC for being allowed to be a part of our membership and able to access our Visiting Tutor Programme. We wished them well going forward and we continue to enjoy a cordial relationship with the NZ Bonsai Association.
On a positive note, it was great to gather together in Brisbane in May at the largest gathering of members since 2019. The Bonsai Society of Queensland hosted a very successful 36th National Convention and I thank their team for all the time and effort given. It was wonderful that it was also a financial success given the organisers were thrown a curved ball by the scheduling of a major sporting event over the same weekend and this caused sudden and excessive accommodation price hikes and room availability shortages and meant convention registration became difficult. It proved that our oft-mentioned reminders of the need to make ‘early bird’ bookings to guarantee pricing were valid.
Next year the 37th National Convention will be held in Canberra from 17-21 May 2025 There have been good early bird registration numbers but more registrations are needed to ensure a financially successful event. I look forward to meeting up with many of our members as we join in the celebrations for the Canberra Bonsai Society’s 50th Golden Anniversary of founding. There is the added bonus for registrants to visit the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection of Australia (NBPCA) and the wonderful Arboretum in which it resides. Then in 2026 the Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania will host the 38th National Bonsai Convention in Hobart – ten years since their very successful 2016 convention. Both host clubs are busy working hard to make their event interesting and financially successful, which will ensure convention surpluses can be directed towards our VTP, which is the major expense for the Association. The VTP provides financial assistance with travel costs to enable our list of tutors / demonstrators to visit clubs with the aim of enhancing the standard of bonsai in clubs across Australia. If a club is even just a little bit interested in hosting a future convention please ask for a copy of the convention guideline booklet. Members of the Executive are available to discuss and assist with guidance in planning these events.
I thank my Executive team for their time and support. Glenys Barnes took on the Treasurer role again and Tony Bebb joined the Executive as Vice-President. He was extra busy as he was also Chairman of our 2024 National Convention in Brisbane. Maurice Flaherty continued to administer the VTP and Frank Kelly has been in the Secretary position for a number of years. I look forward, subject to the AGM vote, to welcoming Nick Justo from the Redlands Bonsai Society onto the Executive for the coming year. Regarding succession planning, we do need other bonsai club members out there to put up their hands as the majority of the current Executive has been on the Board for upwards of a decade. Fresh enthusiasm and ideas will assist this Association continue to thrive. I also appreciate any feedback and ideas from our member base for consideration and discussion. The Executive meets by Zoom monthly and holds Zoom meetings with VTP demonstrators.
The committees of our member clubs and also the AABC Board are all volunteers and I thank you all for the effort provided to ensure that the practice of bonsai in Australia progresses.
Dianne Boekhout
President
Australian News
Australia News
Welcome to 2025. I hope this year is a great one for all clubs and their members.
This year the AABC National Convention with the theme of “Future Directions” is being held in Canberra from 16 – 19 May. With a great response already please encourage club members to book soon as there are only about 40 places left. This is wonderful news as the Canberra Bonsai Society team are working very hard to make it a great event and reunion. There is the added opportunity to also visit the NBPCA where bonsai from around Australia are displayed and where local bonsai enthusiasts volunteer.
Further information is available on the Canberra Bonsai Society’s website – https://www.canberrabonsai.club/
or on their Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/events/canberra-rex-hotel/37th-aabc-national-bonsaiconvention/
It is always great to see new faces attend our conventions which are the major fundraising events for AABC and importantly for the Visiting Tutor Programme (VTP). I encourage each club committee to promote the Convention to their members, explaining the opportunity not only for increased learning and viewing high standard trees on display but also networking and having great fun.
We have finalised the outcome from last year’s convention in Brisbane and the Bonsai Society of Queensland have forwarded to the AABC an amount over $ 10,000. This was a fabuluous reward for the effort from the BSQ convention organising committee. We applaud the club and members for their time and effort over a number of years in the planning and running of the 2024 Convention.
To assist clubs and their members with planning I am giving early notice that the 2026 Convention will be held in Hobart, Tasmania, on the first weekend of May. This is a fortnight earlier than usual but was necessary as there was a prior booking at the venue for our usual mid-May timing. Full details will be announced at the end of the Canberra Convention. It will be 10 years since out last convention in Tasmania.
Planned events:
16 – 19 May 2025 – 37th AABC National Bonsai Convention, Rex Hotel, Canberra
May 2026 – 38th AABC National Bonsai Convention, Hobart
International News
Lindsay Bebb (QLD) is the Chairman of World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF) and Frank Kelly (ACT) is the Regional Director for Australia-New Zealand. Martin Walters is the New Zealand International Consultant for WBFF.
An initiative from World Bonsai Friendship Federation is that the Federation is happy to support bonsai events, conventions and other activities through the use of the WBFF logo. If clubs wish to indicate on their advertising that WBFF supports their event, they can apply to their Regional Director (Frank Kelly, contact email is ardathbonsai@gmail.com) for details on how to gain approval and receive permission to use the WBFF logo for a specific activity.
Every year there are many International Bonsai events. Attending these events supports the improvement in the standard of bonsai in Australia with delegates able to view displays of high standard trees in the “bark” from all angles (not just a screen or photo). These events provide workshops and demonstrations by the best demonstrators from around the world. Global friendships are also formed.
We have more Australian demonstrators now demonstrating globally as well as at our AABC National Conventions.