The garden at the front of the new art and science wing on High Street will feature four groups of native plants surrounding a meeting area. 

The four sections of the garden recognise the plains people, water people, mountain people, and desert people. 

Each section has plants native to the specific area, growing as they would in their native habitat. 

Wimmera Catchment Management Authority is working with the school on the project.

The authority’s community engagement officer Rae Talbot said all of the plants were used by Aboriginal people in the Wimmera. 

“The plants are used for medicines, while there are some plants that are strictly men’s business and other plants that are women’s business,” she said. 

Aboriginal Elder Aunty Nancy Harrison designed the garden, which features red gum trunk seats at its centre.

“The centre part will be left free to be a teaching area and also a meeting place,” Ms Talbot said. 

“We’ve left a big enough gap in the middle that if the science students ever wanted – with the Elders’ approval – they could dig an earth oven.”