The Australian National Botanic Gardens brings together a vast collection of flora from around Australia. The Gardens also act as a research and scientific setting, cultivating threatened plants to protect the rare vegetation from extinction. The Gardens host the Flora Explorer Tour every Saturday and Sunday at 1pm.
The Gardens conduct interesting displays and tours around various themes with recent topics including ‘after dark firefly tours’ or an ‘Australian Native Bonsai workshop’. These events highlight a particular nature subject to create an interesting forum for study or reflection.
From its humble beginnings in 1945 and with just a small budget to start with, researcher Richard Pryor started planting a small range of eucalypts on the slopes of Black Mountain and with the ceremonial planting of an oak tree by Prime Minister Ben Chifley in 1949 the Gardens were officially started. Today these gardens house the largest number of native Australian flora in the country.
The informative Visitors Centre which is visible from the carpark provides an introduction to the grounds and features a bookshop and exhibition space. Maps and brochures of the Gardens are also available. To reach the Gardens, public transport is available on ACTION bus route 81 which stops close to the site on Daley Road. Walking from the CBD takes about 30 minutes.
