Translating for Goodmayes
Positioning
Goodmayes Orchard, on Darkinjung Country, is a deeply personal project rooted in four generations of my family’s relationship with the land. Located on our family farm, it became a testbed for applying relational methodologies developed during Learning from Wareamah, blending ecological care with community connection. Inspired by EMF’s Girona Shores Framework Project, the initiative transformed Goodmayes into a vibrant space for cultural and ecological engagement.
As part of the Central Coast Harvest Trail, the orchard welcomed over 4,000 visitors—a dramatic increase from fewer than 100 in previous years. The project balanced the practical demands of hosting a large-scale event while honouring Country’s rhythms, fostering meaningful connections between people and place.
What makes Goodmayes Orchard truly special is its ongoing evolution. The community we brought together has embraced and continued its growth independently—vendors now plan future events, and the landscape itself is shifting in response to human and ecological interactions. After we selectively mowed to reduce fire risk, my father re-mowed new trails, organically shaping the land and reflecting an evolving relationship with this place.
Our involvement continues, focusing on regenerating endemic ecologies and enhancing biodiversity. Through native planting trials and refined land care practices, we are deepening our understanding of the relationships between humans, Country, and more-than-human systems. Together with the local community, we listen, adapt, and learn—ensuring Goodmayes remains a living, breathing dialogue with the land.
As part of the Central Coast Harvest Trail, the orchard welcomed over 4,000 visitors—a dramatic increase from fewer than 100 in previous years. The project balanced the practical demands of hosting a large-scale event while honouring Country’s rhythms, fostering meaningful connections between people and place.
What makes Goodmayes Orchard truly special is its ongoing evolution. The community we brought together has embraced and continued its growth independently—vendors now plan future events, and the landscape itself is shifting in response to human and ecological interactions. After we selectively mowed to reduce fire risk, my father re-mowed new trails, organically shaping the land and reflecting an evolving relationship with this place.
Our involvement continues, focusing on regenerating endemic ecologies and enhancing biodiversity. Through native planting trials and refined land care practices, we are deepening our understanding of the relationships between humans, Country, and more-than-human systems. Together with the local community, we listen, adapt, and learn—ensuring Goodmayes remains a living, breathing dialogue with the land.
Team
Tyler Smith_MArch_apeapeape
Miles Agius_LArch_apeapeape
Georgia Pan _MArch_apeapeape
James Lollback _LArch
Rudy Midya _LArch
Liv Davey _LArch
Ned Dickson_LArch
Eva Telemachou _LArch
Antonique Amperidis _LArch
Sustaining Beyond Architecture and Ongoing Learning
We believe that projects don’t have an end—ongoing listening and care practices must be woven into them. Walking and listening to Country at Goodmayes challenged us to rethink traditional architectural tools. We implemented six ecological test strips to monitor growth and support land health. After a human community event, we continued listening to Country and observed a flourishing clover field—a sign of resilience and health.
As we listened further, we noticed how different flower species adapted to the landscapes specific conditions, guiding us toward more targeted plantings that respond to soil needs. Moving forward, we aim to enhance native species diversity by introducing new test patches by year’s end.
With the hot, dry season approaching, signalled by the browning of the grasses and the wilting Gymea lilies—plants prolific here—we saw a need to manage the dense grass. Drawing on an understanding of slow-burning practices I learned from my father, we sought to reduce fire load. Recognising the legal restrictions around fire, we adapted, opting to use a slasher, a tool previously halted to allow for regrowth. However, rather than cutting to ground level, we set the slasher at 200mm to reduce overgrowth while preserving clover and flowers.