FareShare’s Abbotsford kitchen garden marked a major milestone in March 2026 – celebrating 10 years of growing food for people in need.
Located between Victoria Park train station and the Victoria Park football oval in inner city Naarm/Melbourne, the site was once a neglected dumping ground.
Today, it stands as a thriving urban garden, producing thousands of kilograms of vegetables and herbs every year.
The diverse range of produce from the garden is transported to the nearby Abbotsford FareShare kitchen and transformed by chefs and volunteers into nutritious, ready-to-eat meals for people facing hardship.
Abbotsford garden volunteers harvest green beans, which were quickly transported to the nearby FareShare kitchen and added to nutritious meals for people in need.
How a patch of gravel was turned into a thriving garden
The transformation of the Abbotsford garden began in 2016, when support from partners helped establish the site on VicTrack land.
A dedicated team of staff and volunteers set about regenerating the space – with the expert support of the University of Melbourne’s Burnley Horticultural College.
Garden beds were established by bringing in mountains of soil and mulch, transforming a degraded site into productive ground.
Garden beds are built up in the early days of the Abbotsford garden.
Before and after shots show the development of the Abbotsford garden.
Volunteers at the heart of the FareShare garden
Volunteers have been central to the Abbotsford garden’s success, contributing not only labour but also knowledge, care and a strong sense of shared ownership.
In March this year, volunteers gathered at the garden to celebrate the 10th anniversary at a morning tea with current and former staff and special guests.
Sue has been volunteering at the Abbotsford garden since it began 10 years ago and still comes in every fortnight.
“It’s been wonderful to watch the garden develop.”
Abbotsford garden volunteer, Sue
Volunteers celebrate the 10th anniversary of the garden.
Elizabeth is another volunteer who has been there from the beginning of the garden and also gives her time in the FareShare kitchens – helping to turn produce grown on the garden into meals.
“It’s very rewarding to help people less fortunate than you are.”
Abbotsford garden volunteer, Elizabeth
As well as supporting people in need through the produce it grows, the garden has also nurtured many friendships between volunteers.
Pauline has been volunteering in the garden for 10 years and said she liked the social contact of volunteering – as they brought homemade cakes and treats to share for morning tea and also caught up outside of their gardening time.
“I love watching the seasonal growth of food in the garden, knowing we’re doing something useful for people who need help… and there’s lots of benefits for the volunteers too.”
Abbotsford garden volunteer, Pauline
Former Abbotsford garden manager Barbara Ormerod and current Farm & Gardens Lead – Inner City Haydn Allen celebrate the 10th anniversary of the garden.
Celebrating the impact of the Abbotsford garden
As the Abbotsford garden celebrates its 10th anniversary, we can reflect on how far the site has come — from a discarded space to a productive garden.
This once-forgotten patch of land now grows fresh, nutritious produce that strengthens FareShare meals and supports Australians doing it tough.
The garden shows that with care, knowledge and partnership, even the most unlikely places can be restored and nourish community once again.
There is currently an extensive waitlist to volunteer at FareShare’s Abbotsford garden, but there are volunteer shifts available at the FareShare farms in Dingley Village, Clayton South and Moorabbin.
