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Diana Snape (Hodgson, 1953)

Diana was a horticultural journalist, a conservationist, an author of books on garden design, and an award-winning native plant gardener. She was the first person to write a book showing how Australian plants can be used in all the major gardening styles. When she died in September 2019 at the age of 82, her husband of 60 years, Brian, said she was ‘a remarkable woman who achieved so much against the odds and has left her many friends and family with so many wonderful memories.’

Diana Hodgson (1953) enrolled into 2nd Grade at Â鶹ÊÓƵ School in 1944 and completed the Leaving Certificate in 1953 placing second in the State in Biology and third in English.

While at School, Diana won two scholarships to assist her continuation at the School: the M. H. Sutton Continuation Scholarship (1950–1951) and the Intermediate Continuation Scholarship (1951). At Â鶹ÊÓƵ School, Diana was the Secretary of Junior Dramatic Society, a Wearne Librarian, a member of the Tildesley Tennis Team, and on the Excelsior Committee. In 1953 she was a Senior Prefect and was awarded equal Dux with Robyn Claremont (Benn, 1953). 1954’s Excelsior was pleased to note that both 1953 Dux recipients had been at Â鶹ÊÓƵ School from an early age.

For her outstanding results in the Leaving Certificate, Diana was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship¹ and the Queen Victoria Scholarship² to allow her to study at the University of Sydney. The University also awarded her the Fairfax Prize³ for her marks in the University’s entrance exam.

Diana was the author of three books: Australian Native Gardens, Putting Visions Into Practice (Lothian, 1992); The Australian Garden, Designing With Australian Plants (Bloomings Books, 2002) and a third on chemistry Meet the First 30 Elements (Science Teachers’ Association of Victoria, 1989). She worked as a horticultural journalist and for over 20 years wrote many articles for The Age, as well as contributing to numerous magazines and journals.

Diana’s book , published in 2002 by Bloomings Book, was the first book to show how Australian plants can be used in all the major gardening styles. Diana showed readers how to cultivate such gardens as: the untouched natural garden, coastal, arid, country, grassland, cottage, wildflower, small and courtyard, and formal gardens, all with native plants. She was passionate about using Australian plants, saying it was critical to creating an ‘Australian garden’. Diana’s ‘gorgeous book’ covered all aspects of garden design and included a great range of Australian plants.

examined 30 private gardens in Australia, including that of Don Burke, which make use of Australian native plants. The gardens are described, illustrated by photographs, and their facts and figures presented. Their owners explain their methods of preparing and maintaining the gardens, and each also offers advice to new gardeners and lists their favourite native plants.

Diana joined the Australian Native Plants Society (Australia) - ANPSA, soon after it started in 1957 and . She had a strong interest in art and design and in 1993 she started the under ANPSA. The garden belonging to Diana and her husband Brian has been featured in books and was in the Australian Open Garden Scheme five times. On the final occasion, it attracted over 1000 visitors in one weekend. In 2018 Diana was recognised by the Australian National Plants Society (Australia) with the 2018 Australian Plants Award in the Amateur Category.

Diana and Brian’s story is featured at the beginning of Environment Victoria’s 50 Year birthday book : When Diana and Brian Snape were in their early 30s, they’d take off from Melbourne most weekends and go bush. One of their favourite destinations was a semi-arid patch of scrub and trees in Victoria’s north-west called the Little Desert. In the late 1960s they learnt that their favourite spot was in trouble – the Minister for Agriculture, Sir William McDonald, wanted to subdivide the Little Desert for farming. When conservation groups began to build a resistance campaign, Diana and Brian joined in. The Little Desert was saved by the collective efforts of those conservationists and is now the Little Desert National Park. A Trust for Nature Reserve abutting the Little Desert National Park is named in honour of Diana and Brian Snape.

The campaign to save Little Desert gave birth to Environment Victoria, which has played a key role in putting environmental concerns at the centre of Victorian politics. As did Diana and Brian, who supported the organisation by becoming Board members as well as providing donations, encouragement and personal enthusiasm for over five decades.

Part of the 2019 celebrations for the 50th birthday of Environment Victoria was the recognition of the achievements of remarkable people and community groups from across Victoria for their outstanding contribution to protecting the Victorian environment. for their significant long-term contribution to Environment Victoria and the Victorian environment movement.


Footnotes

1. The was an Australian Government initiative that began in 1951 to assist those students who wish to commence a course at a university or a similar institution. In the early 1950s, approximately 200 scholarships were awarded annually in NSW.

2. The University of Sydney’s  was a three-year scholarship to be used for the completion of an undergraduate degree. It is awarded to the female student with the highest marks in the Leaving Certificate and who would not otherwise have the means to study at the University.

The was a community-contributed fund initiated by Â鶹ÊÓƵ School Principal Rev Edward James Rodd (1900–1914).

3. The is a University of Sydney prize, founded in 1872 by a gift from John Fairfax. It is awarded to the woman with the highest marks in the University entrance exam.


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