A little corner of the Royal set aside to ensure that after 44 years of service, Barb won’t be forgotten

Ever since Barb Smithson was a little girl, she’s loved gardening.

“I used to help my grandmother in her garden – though sometimes I’d get in trouble for leaving the weeds and pulling out the plants by accident.”

Barb is about to head off on long service leave after 44 years working at the Royal – and it’s little wonder she’s spent much of that time working as a gardener.

Back in 1980, Barb started out as a laundry hand, which encompassed a variety of jobs. Even then, she was on the lookout for an outdoors job.

When a gardener role was advertised in 2004, she told her then-boss: “Yes, I’m going for this!”

She’s been helping keep the RBWH gardens in pristine shape ever since – and has become a familiar presence for staff, patients and visitors.

Aside from loving gardening and working outside, Barb says the best part of her job is interacting with patients and visitors.

“Sometimes they might be feeling a bit down in the dumps,” she says.

“I try to get them to look at things in a positive light. Sometimes it just takes someone pointing out a different way of looking at things, steering them in a different direction. I’ve enjoyed having those conversations with people and helping them out a little bit.”

With more time on her hands, Barb is looking forward to caring for her partner, and training her border collie Jessica. And she’s not ruling out coming back to work if she gets bored.

While she may not be around, Barb certainly won’t be forgotten. A plaque commemorating her years of service to the Royal can be found outside the Main Entrance to RBWH – in the green space now aptly known as ‘Barb’s Garden’.