The life of Wally Christie was celebrated at a funeral service, held in our Worship Centre on 29 April 2011.  The following is a tribute to Wally  . . . 

Take a brand new church building, set on a blank canvas awaiting landscaping, a very talented and committed garden designer and the outcome is a beautiful garden.

When our church building and grounds were ready to become our principle worship place in June 2006, Wally Christie very generously offered and committed for five years to design, establish and nurture the gardens you see around our grounds today. 

Wally very skilfully managed the donations to the garden, and sourced others from his knowledge of the nursery industry.  

With the aid of his helpers, especially wife Lorna and Jack Weerts, the constant planting and maintenance of the garden have been managed lovingly by Wally.  Occasionally, he would indicate the need for a working-bee to distribute copious quantities of new mulch.

Wally’s attention to detail knew no limits; for example he would rake the lawn clippings from the lower regions of the small hedge (left there after lawn-mowing) so the hedge growth would not be retarded at the base.  

Part of his vision for the garden, was that it would provide flowers and foliage for use in our floral displays; 

and he visualised that one day children would play under the ‘birch grove’.

Anyone with an eye for design will recognise Wally’s skilful blending of colour and form, contrast and texture of the plantings.

During this time, Wally publically claimed his own faith in his statement of belief—he was Baptised and Confirmed with a number of other people on 22 November 2009.

Wally Christie came so close to fulfilling his five year commitment.  Sadly he succumbed to cancer after a hard fought battle—leaving us this beautiful legacy.  

Thank you Wally for a wonderful garden.