David Da Silva continues Robert Cooper Bagot’s vision for Flemington’s gardens

Robert Cooper Bagot had a vision. When the inaugural secretary of the VRC set about shaping Flemington gardens in the late nineteenth century, he saw something beyond a racecourse – a green space and a place people would want to visit for its beauty. It is a vision that Flemington’s Arboriculture Manager, David Da Silva, often thinks about.

“I admire the visionaries who came before,” he says. “People like Robert Bagot and Henry Moore, who built the Flemington track and gardens. It is nice to know that my skill set can help continue and improve what they started.”

Da Silva’s connection to Flemington stretches back years. He did his gardening apprenticeship here under Terry Freeman and Mick Ryan, before completing an arboriculture apprenticeship and a Diploma, spending time at local council, and returning to the VRC in 2022. “I just really loved working with trees,” he says. “I learned there was so much more to the job than pruning and cutting, so I continued on to complete a Diploma.”

For De Silva, Flemington is much more than a racing venue. He describes it as “an urban sanctuary,” highlighting its significance as a green oasis within Melbourne’s inner city.

His work combines modern arboricultural practices with a commitment to protecting the heritage values that have shaped the racecourse for over 150 years.

Each day is different, but the aim is the same – to keep the trees healthy and thriving. All 3,140 trees on the property are assessed personally by him once a year, and when he is not inspecting, he is hands-on alongside his team. On any given day, that might mean fertilising, cultivating soil, or carrying out the careful horticultural maintenance that keeps a tree healthy from the roots up.

He’s also in charge of planning and developing new ideas for the gardens. The latest and largest project is the redevelopment of the Members’ Carpark. New avenues of exotic and native trees will replace older plantings, consistent with the Nursery Carpark and Flemington Drive. “The design will feature exotic and native trees to get a nice mix of colours and textures,” he says. The trees have been contract-grown for two years and will go in the ground well established, with everything complete before Makybe Diva Stakes Day.

When selecting new species, he consults growers like Flemings to ensure he starts with the right stock. Heritage considerations shape some of those decisions. The Elms precinct, the oldest part of the racecourse, is subject to a heritage overlay requiring elms, but Da Silva is happy with that.

“I consider it a privilege to work on trees of historical significance,” he says.

As well as the larger, obvious displays of Da Silva’s and his team’s work on course, there are also the hidden corners, such as the apple trees – including golden delicious, gala and pink lady – planted around the equine swimming pool. “The horses love them, and there is hardly ever any fruit on the trees because the team can’t resist giving them one or two quite often.”

Beyond the day-to-day, Da Silva also teaches part-time with Arbortrim, hosting monthly walkthroughs for arborists in training. “I love showing Flemington and its gardens off,” he says. “A lot of people know about the roses, especially around spring, but I think the green spaces deserve more love.” He is also in conversation with NGIV (Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria) about a potential collaboration with the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show, and has ambitions to one day host a horticultural show at Flemington in spring.

When Robert Cooper Bagot declared his vision for Flemington – “Let us make it a place of beauty. Think how marvellous it will look in the future,” – he could only have hoped that more than a century later, someone like David Da Silva would be here to continue it. But walk the grounds today, and it is clear the legacy is in good hands.