Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, are the largest of three major botanical gardens open to the public in Sydney, along with the Mount Annan Botanic Garden and the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden. The park, managed by the same trust as The Domain adjoining it, is free to access and open every day of the year.
[edit] Location
The Botanic Gardens are situated overlooking Farm Cove, directly east of the Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay and Macquarie Street. On the southern edge the Cahill Expressway borders it and on the eastern edge, Art Gallery road.
[edit] History
The first farm on the Australian continent, "nine acres in corn" at Farm Cove, was established in 1788 by Governor Phillip. Although that farm failed, the land has been in constant cultivation since that time, as ways were found to make the relatively infertile soils more productive.
Towards the end of his time as Director, Moore, together with Ernst Betche, published the Handbook of the Flora of New South Wales, further establishing the Botanic Gardens as a centre for the science of botany.
Other initiatives, the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden (1987), Mount Annan Botanic Garden (1988) and the Tropical Centre (1990) glasshouses, were opened to the public after Professor Carrick Chambers became the ninth Director in 1986. The Royal Botanic Gardens celebrated its 175th anniversary in 1991. During Professor Chambers’ ten years as Director, the Rose Garden (1988), the Fernery (1993), the Herb Garden (1994), and the Oriental Garden (1997) were opened and the Rare and Threatened Species Garden (1998) was commenced to further enrich the experience of visitors. The Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation was established to seek a wider range of support for future needs.
In 2003 the business name of the organisation, comprising the three Botanic Gardens and the Domain and administered by the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, was changed from the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney to the Botanic Gardens Trust.
The present Executive Director is Dr Tim Entwisle.
[edit] External links
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