About Me
Hi, I’m Rae Bassett, an artist, gardener and photographer with a passion for celebrating the beauty of Australia’s native flora.
I love sharing this space with other garden enthusiasts and hope that something here inspires you to plant more of our beautiful flora in your own garden.
I started this blog so I could share examples of Australian native plants in ornamental and cottage garden settings with a wider audience. I hope you enjoy browsing the photos from my own garden in Sydney, my new garden on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, plus reading stories about the native gardens that inspire me.
I am the website and social media editor for the Native Plants Queensland, Sunshine Coast branch, a member of the Australian Native Plants Society garden design study group and part of the Native Plants Queensland conference organising committee.
Outside of my passion for gardening and native plants I am a multi-platform artist and arts executive with a career spanning more than 25 years in arts management, cultural tourism, and major events.
I have played an instrumental role in some of the most iconic events in Australia’s cultural landscape, directing digital and social media strategies for long-running musicals like WICKED, The Book of Mormon, and Jersey Boys and landmark Australian & NZ tours including Sir David Attenborough, Heston Blumenthal, Bear Grylls, Rick Stein and Prof Brian Cox. I also directed the digital and tourism strategies for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record breaking season of Evita starring Tina Arena at the Sydney Opera House.
My expertise extends to major public events such as White Night Melbourne, which drew over half a million attendees in a single night, and landmark exhibitions including the record-breaking King Tutankhamun exhibit enjoyed by over 700,000 people at the Melbourne Museum. Outside of the arts I have delivered digital and ticketing strategies for major sporting events including the inaugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Geelong, and Le’Tape by Le Tour de France in Thredbo.
My ability to harness digital platforms to drive audience engagement and ticket sales has been central to my success in the cultural sector and I now enjoy working with a small stable of high-profile brands globally to provide performance marketing that delivers high business growth. I also serve the local arts community on the Sunshine Coast as a peer assessor for the Regional Arts Development Fund.
Beyond my professional achievements, in 2023 I worked with three generations of women in my family to publish a book about our great-grandfather, Clarence Hare, who sailed to the Antarctic with Scott and Shackleton in 1901. The book titled ‘A Young Man’s Antarctic Discovery‘ is now held in public libraries and private collections worldwide, ensuring Clarence Hare’s legacy is preserved.
My creative spirit continues to flourish through photography and illustration. In 2024 I joined an artist residency with the Sunshine Coast Nature Sketchers at the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden. My art prints are also sold globally, and my digital garden design tools and photographs are licensed on major platforms including Getty Images/ iStock and Shutterstock.
Please feel free to add my photos to your Pinterest if you’re putting together ideas for your own garden. You can follow me on Pinterest too.
If you would like to license my photos for Commercial Use such as advertising or marketing your business, you will find many photos on Shutterstock, or please get in touch to discuss your project.
“Australia’s native flora is beautiful and incredibly diverse – a true national and global treasure”
