Featuring Australian Native Plants
Katandra is an Australian aboriginal word meaning "Song of Birds" and in this garden the birds do just that.  Over 75 species of birds have been recorded in the gardens. The property was purchased in 1976 as a working orchard of cherries and plums.  About one acre was cleared of fruit trees to start the home garden in 1977.   In 1989  the cherries and plums were bulldozed and Dot was very keen to have a  few gum trees. These were planted, then Bob, in particular, developed a strong interest in the Australian flora and quickly added more Australian plants and a "few" more gum trees.  Bob learnt how to propogate the Australian plants and soon the garden was doubled in size.  Not content with a small garden the O'Neills soon were looking to add more and more garden beds until today the garden of 8 acres is stopped only by the fencelines. The whole property has been turned into one of the most fascinating of gardens.  An extremely extensive range of Australian "Wildflowers" with numerous collections has been landscaped into mulched garden beds.   The property holds the OPCA collection of Australian Correas or "Bush Bells" as some like to call them.

The gardens offer peaceful surrounds, magnificent views, a place to walk around and commune with nature. and an opportunity to see the honeyeaters, blue wrens, wattle birds, fantails, willy wag tails, thornbills, grebes and many other birds which frequent the gardens. Visitors are able to wander the gardens, filming the plants or identifying some of the 75 bird species which have been recorded in the gardens over the past few years.

Check our List of Birds recorded at Katandra Gardens

Today the O'Neills have set up two 4.5 star self contained Bed and Breakfast cottages set privately amidst the gardens for Garden Lovers to come and stay.  The cottages are fully self-contained and the O'Neills provide the food  for guests to make themselves a full country breakfast each morning. A private suite is also available for families or those who prefer to have a spa.

In 2005 Bob was awarded the prestigious "Gardener of the Year" by ABC's Gardening Australia