Pioneering landscape designer Edna Walling will be the subject of a new feature to be written and directed by Lowick Films’ Sam Icklow.
The While the Men Are Away scribe has optioned Sara Hardy’s 2005 biography The Unusual Life of Edna Walling, which explores not only her professional achievements but also her relationships and evolving sense of identity as a queer woman in a conservative time.
Icklow, who has received development funding from Screen NSW for the project, described Walling’s story as “one of resilience, creativity, and self-discovery”.
“Edna Walling was not just a visionary gardener, but a trailblazer whose work speaks directly to the environmental and social conversations of today,” he said.
“I’m thrilled to bring her legacy to life on screen for local and international audiences.”
Born in England in 1895 and raised in Plymouth, Devon, Walling emigrated with her family to New Zealand in 1913 before settling in Melbourne, Australia, where she joined the first all-female class at the Burnley School of Horticulture.
Walling quickly established herself as one of Australia’s most influential landscape designers, designing more than 300 gardens over four decades, including commissions for Dame Nellie Melba, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, and Sir Frank Packer. Beyond her work as a landscape designer, she was also a writer, photographer, architect, and entrepreneur.
In 1928, she created Bickleigh Vale, a unique residential community designed to reflect her Devonian roots and arts and crafts ideals. Known locally as ‘Trousers Lane’ due to its reputation as a haven for independent women, the suburb carries on her legacy more than 50 years after she died in 1973. Walling also championed the use of native plants and sustainable design.
Hardy, who also grew up in Devon before calling Australia home, became inspired to delve deeper into Walling’s life after portraying her in the play. ‘Edna for the Garden’.
Over five years, the actor and playwright uncovered personal letters, photographs, and family stories to piece together a portrait of her life.
Nearly 20 years later, she had “complete trust” in Icklow’s vision to create a” lush filmic landscape featuring an inspirational woman who still has relevance for us today”.
“I am so excited that Sam has chosen to make a biopic based on my biography of the wonderful yet perpetually ‘challenging’ Edna Walling,” she said.
“Sam understands the brilliance of Edna Walling’s creative force, and the complexities of her ‘misfit’ emotions.”