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The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, NSW
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The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, is a 30-hectare (74-acre) botanical garden, located on Sydney Harbour near the Sydney Opera House.
The land on which the botanic gardens sits operated as a Government farm in 1788, with "six acres of wheat, eight of barley, and six acres of other grain".
The soil of farm cove was sandy and poor, and agriculture was moved out to Parramatta.
In 1816, Governor Lachlan Macquarie created the Royal Botanic Garden as part of the Governor's Domain. Ongoing efforts were made to improve the soil.
The Colonial Botanist, Charles Fraser, was instructed to collect “rare and new
plants and seeds” for Governor Lachlan Macquarie, and it is believed that these established the Gardens.
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| Sydney Farm Cove and Gardens, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912) |
Between 1829 and 1838, the wine industry began with grape vines grown in the Gardens. The first vines came with the
First Fleet (1788).
Richard Cunningham, the next Colonial Botanist, made a report in 1833 detailing the layout, proposal for pathways and improvements for the Gardens.
An old stone windmill used for grinding grain, once stood in the grounds of the Royal Botanical Garden. The mill was removed in 1835.
Charles Moore took on the job in 1848 with instructions for the Gardens to become a place of study, research and a “pleasant place of resort to the inhabitants of Sydney”. Much improvement happened under Moore's management, with soil improvements and securing water supply.
For the International Exhibition of 1879, the Garden Exhibition Palace was built near the Government
House stables.
The magnificent Palace attracted over one million visitors, with display products from the arts and industry, museum collections from the library of the Linnean Society (botany and natural sciences), and more.
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| The International Exhibition of 1879 at the Garden Palace, (one of the towers, Botanic Gardens, Sydney, NSW |
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| GARDEN PALACE, Royal Botanic Gardens was built for the Sydney International Exhibition which opened on 17 September 1879, State Records |
Sadly, a fire destroyed the Palace and its contents on the morning of 22 September 1882.
The Gardens centennial celebrations took place on 13 June 1916 under the director, Joseph Maiden, who instituted the colony's
first herbarium, a museum, library and Sydney's first playground.
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| The Museum and National Herbarium in Sydney Botanic Gardens. NSW, Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Saturday 16 March 1901 |
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| Sydney Botanic Gardens, NSW, Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Wednesday 29 January 1908 |
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| In the Sydney Botanic Gardens, NSW, Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 20 November 1929 |
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the Gardens on 13 February 1954.
And between 1970 and 1980, a new succulent and cacti garden was added to the gardens.
During the 1990s, Asian themed plants garden were added to the
Lower Garden.
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| Shakespeare Place and Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens, NSW, 1956, Sydney of Sydney |
Every year, about 3 million people stroll through the Gardens. Some take the free guided tours, available daily at 10.30am. Others may attend corporate events, get married at the Gardens, or sit under a tree and gaze around in
wonder.
Around The Botanic Gardens |
| The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney , NSW |
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| The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney , NSW |
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| The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney , NSW |
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| The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney , NSW |
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| The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney , NSW |
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| The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney , NSW |
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| The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney , NSW |
Location. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney NSW.
