Col Campbell

Colin "Col" Campbell, born in New Zealand, is a presenter on Gardening Australia, a TV show on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He is also a presenter on Brisbane radio station 4 BC as the "Gardening Guru" of weekend mornings, in which he answers a wide range of questions from callers. Campbell began his radio career in 1983, television in 1985 and newspaper in 1991. He is married.

Early life

Campbell's post school years involved a number of different jobs: grocer's assistant in a small country town in New Zealand, sales representative, stock and station agent, and auctioneer. Eventually employed by a fertiliser company, he gained experience with plants through his time spent conducting fertiliser trials and involvement with farmers' meetings. Throughout this period he studied as a mature student at Lincoln College, then part of the University of Canterbury, receiving a Diploma in Horticulture. Subsequent studies included a Certificate in Journalism, a Diploma in sales management, and experience gained from a public speaking course.

"Gardening Australia"

A long time presenter of Queensland-specific plants and their gardening techniques, Colin Campbell is a most popular Gardening Australia celebrity. Colin typically reports on topics such as growing heleconias, cordylines, grevilleas, and drought resistant plants,^[1] using a friendly and humorous style of presentation.

Common questions usually involve worries about 'yellowing leaves' (Nitrogen deficiency) or 'funny white fluffy stuff' (mealybug). Colin's patience, humour, and down to earth explanations make his show very popular as its longevity shows; it has a loyal following in Southeast Queensland. He also regularly contributes to Brisbane printed media.

Colin is a great advocate of gardeners' rights. Although this may seem ambiguous, there is a feeling amongst many gardeners in Australia that they are being wrongly targeted as the culprits behind Southeast Queensland's (and wider Australia's) water shortage problems. Colin is advocating the health benefits that gardening has to offer people of all ages, especially the elderly, and that there are "water wise"" ways to garden. Colin in particular takes it upon himself to stand up for gardeners. His goal is to show the inequities of blaming gardeners for water shortages whilst allowing other members of society such as some irresponsible members of the industrial and commercial sectors to get away with their continued abuses of the system. These views are expressed in many of his presentations and speeches and for this he is very popular with thousands of gardeners who feel vilified.

Awards and Accolades

• 1991 and 2002: Nursery and Garden Industry Association Certificate of Recognition for service to the Nursery Industry.
• 1994: Appointed a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Horticulture.
• 2004: Minister for Primary Industries Award for Continued Outstanding Service to an Industry Sector.
• 2006: Meritorious Achievement Award for outstanding service and support to the Queensland Nursery Industry
• 2006: Inducted into Hall of Fame by Landscape Queensland Inc, formerly Queensland Association of Landscape Industries.
• 2007: Awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to horticulture, particularly as a contributor to a range of gardening related television and radio programmes and publications.
• Varieties of hibiscus, daylily and clivia have been named in his honour.
• Patron of the Hibiscus Society of Queensland, the Queensland Herb Society, the Brisbane Daylily Society, the International Tropical Foliage and Garden Society, the Buderim Garden Club
• Member of the Maleny Garden Club and the Royal Horticultural Society (Queensland).
• Nominee for Queenslander of the Year and Australian of the Year.

The Brisbane Agricultural Exhibition

Colin can be found at the Brisbane Agricultural Exhibition (Ekka) every year as he presents from 4BC's booth in the Gardening Exhibition area. Easily spotted in his trademark Akubra hat, he is very popular with many of the members of the various gardening clubs, having an excellent memory for people's names and their previous gardening enquiries.

References

1. ^ Examples of drought-resistant plants

External links

• Interview
• Conference

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