MUSSE

Mr Tim Uebergang, Horticultural Technician, Grounds department.

Name: Tim Uebergang

What is your Organisational Unit? Grounds department

What is your job title? Horticultural Technician

How long have you been with the University of Melbourne? Almost six years

Prior to working at Melbourne, where were you located and what was your role? I was at a nursery in St Kilda as well as working as an animator for television.

Describe your typical day? I cycle to work from the west and arrive at 6.30 am. I have until 8 am to do a bit of hand-watering and, when it warms up, turn on the manual drip systems. On Mondays and Fridays I attend to the System Garden. My job involves everything from pruning to feeding, watering to weeding, sweeping, edging, planting, mulching, repairing irrigation, landscaping, propagating seed, researching plants, and buying. It’s a role that is very diverse in its tasks.

What is it about your job that holds your interest or is particularly satisfying? My job is incredibly satisfying and challenging. There’s always something to do. The System Garden is in a redevelopment stage. This amazing historic garden is approximately 150 years old and unique because it has plantings that are arranged to fit into areas that represent family groups within their plant evolution. There are very few known gardens like this in Australia. I have been very fortunate to be able to study botany through the Community Access Program at the University as well as meet many knowledgeable individuals. Together, this has given me greater proficiency in my understanding of evolutionary relationships between the plants I’m trying to represent in the garden. I work in a very skilled team and am surrounded by a bounty of intelligent people with a fantastic wealth of resources, all making the job one of immense satisfaction.

What is your favourite destination and why? There are so many destinations that I love but I can narrow it down to two that are on the same continent. The first is Bolivia and the second is Colombia because of its stunning beaches, great coffee and seafood.

What is the best piece of advice you have received? Do, or do not, there is no try.

What is something about yourself that most of your colleagues wouldn’t know? I’ve won medals for boot scooting.

What was the drawcard in taking a job at the University? The diversity of the grounds at the University; they are quite unlike any other with the exception of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Melbourne Zoo. It is always fantastic to work and collaborate with such a professional team of people that love their work.

What do you like about the University? The resources at the University are fantastic. I’ve met so many great and interesting people of such varying professions.