Vale Mavis Dutschke 27/7/1928 – 12/11/2022

Mavis joined the S.A. Bonsai Society in September 1970, and had been a life member since 2004.

Mavis had a very large collection of Bonsai in her beautiful garden. She exhibited at both the club and the Royal Adelaide Show, winning many prizes.
Mavis was a regular demonstrator at our club meetings, and also volunteered her time to give Bonsai talks at various service clubs.

She and Janet Sabey travelled to Mt Gambier in 1986 with Tom Yamamoto, a visiting demonstrator from Japan.
Notably, she brought the first peppercorn tree to the club that anyone had seen as a Bonsai. She was also one of the first people in Australia to specialise with Natives as Bonsai. Her favourite Eucalypts got special treatment. In late January/early February she would light a tightly rolled newspaper and set fire to them, and sit them in her fishpond for a few days. Hence, as in nature, they had suffered a bushfire and a flood. By mid –April they were covered in new growth.

Despite some health issues, she always remained positive, happy, and smiling. As she grew older, the collection became too much to manage so she only kept a few of her favourites Bonsai. In her later years she generously donated all her pots to the S.A. Bonsai Society.
Mavis leaves behind 2 daughters, 3 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.

The South Australian Bonsai Society is fortunate to have had members like Mavis to help develop the club into the success it is today.

2023 Bonsai Show