Bonsai Society of Australia to feature Antony Gymellis in May demonstration

Antony Gymellis is moving onto a bigger stage for the Bonsai Society of Australia, and the choice says a lot about who the club wants to elevate next. The society’s May demonstration will put a newer face in front of members for a talk on getting the best out of black pines, with Gymellis bringing not just tree work but an eye for display, a skill the club clearly values.

The society said Gymellis is new to the bonsai demonstration circuit, but he has been involved in bonsai for many years. It also highlighted his outstanding collection of exotics and natives and his deep interest in bonsai display, a combination that points to more than basic styling. That mix matters in bonsai, where the best presenters often understand how a tree is grown, refined and finally shown as a complete work.

Gymellis’s next appearance is set for Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at West Pennant Hills Community Centre, 42 Hill Road, West Pennant Hills. The Bonsai Society of Australia’s 2026 program lists monthly demonstrations on the first Tuesday of each month at the same venue, making this part of an established club rhythm rather than a stand-alone event. A March 27 society post described him as a young bonsai artist from Sydney and said he had demonstrated with the Hood brothers at the club’s 2025 show. The post also pointed readers to his Instagram account, tree_mendous.bonsai.

The black pine focus gives the demonstration a technical edge. In the society’s own seasonal pine-work guidance, pines are described as apically dominant, with weaker lower branches that need careful energy management to keep the tree balanced in growth and strength. The same guidance recommends cleaning out branch junctions, removing old or damaged needles and reducing mature black pine branches to selected summer candles to improve ramification. That is the sort of material that rewards a demonstrator who can translate collection experience into practical tree work on the bench.

The broader club calendar adds to the significance. The Bonsai Society of Australia says it was founded in August 1965 by Vita and Dorothy Koreshoff and describes itself as one of the first Australian bonsai societies and a national focal point for bonsai fanciers. Its recent Bonsai Open 2026 featured classes including Open, Australian Native, Shohin, Penjing, Creative, People’s Choice and the Mingara Recreation Club Award, with Dave McKeon’s privet raft taking People’s Choice and Bruce King’s Himalayan juniper winning the Mingara Recreation Club Award. Gymellis now joins that same public-facing circuit at a moment when the society is clearly backing practitioners who can bridge technique, collection depth and presentation.