This meeting was a huge success, at least a hundred members taking part. I felt really lucky to be there. Us overseas visitors were treated royally by the organisers, led by Merilyn Kuchel of the South Australia branch, with an optional programme laid on by the Victoria branch under Kaye Stokes. The Australian members couldn't have been more friendly and hospitable, generously opening their homes to us, and wining and dining us with great gusto. We saw some 30 gardens and reserves, and no end of eye-opening plants. (I hope to contribute a fairly detailed account to the MGS journal's January 2013 issue.) It was great to meet several of the two dozen or so Australian members of this forum there.
One of the many highlights was a morning of interesting talks at the Adelaide Botanic Garden - one given by MGS founding member and forum member Trevor Nottle on the Mediterranean background to the development of gardening and farming in South Australia. Trevor has kindly let me attach the paper on which he based his talk - it's attached below, click on it to download it.
I hope to slip bits and pieces (particularly photos) from this Australian trip into the forum when they'd fit sensibly into topics being discussed.