For more than two years, volunteers from the Port Elliot Town and Foreshore Improvement Association have worked to transform a weedy former rubbish tip into a beautiful space for quiet contemplation.

The new Contemplation Garden is an extension of the Soldiers Memorial Gardens, overlooking Horseshoe Bay. The official opening will take place on 22 November at 10.30am, with federal MP Rebekha Sharkie, Alexandrina Council CEO Glenn Rappensberg, and Deputy Commissioner of SA from Department of Veterans Affairs, Janice Sibly, among those attending.

Town and Foreshore group president Sue Dixon says a small section of the garden has been planted with red, white and blue flowering plants to represent the French flag and the sacrifice by Australian soldiers in France.

The volunteers’ efforts mirror those of Port Elliot townsfolk following World War I, when battle-weary soldiers returned to their families, Sue says.

 “There were two sorts of grieving. One was by the families whose sons and brothers lay on foreign soil and one was by the hollow-eyed returnees who looked to the ocean and the peaceful town to take away their nightmares. 

“The townsfolk showed an understanding that psychologists and therapists are only just understanding. That nature and gardens can be instrumental in the healing process.”

They got together to plant trees and create the beautiful Soldiers Memorial Gardens to provide a place of solace and reflection for the living, as well as honouring those who had died.

“Researchers now know that visiting a garden can give you a great sense of wellbeing, that it can relax the mind and reduce stress levels,” Sue says. 

The Town and Foreshore group gained a grant of $8000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs to create their contemplation site.

It sits on the hill behind the Port Elliot Lifesaving Club, with a sensational view of the bay from four curved seats.

Set in a peaceful sheltered position backed by sandstone walls, built by local stonemason Paul Freebairn, the area is defined by old-brick paving and surrounded by native plants. 

It was built as a place of welcome for locals and visitors who need a space for their own quiet contemplation.