|
|
Travel >>
Attractions
>>
|
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, AustraliaOne of the World's Finest Gardens of Exotic Trees and Plants
Aug 5, 2010 © Garry A. Parkes
The Botanic Gardens feature lakes, numerous large trees and 50,000 individual plants, some of which are 150 years old. They are home to majestic black swans, birds, eels and bats.
Royal Botanic Gardens encompasses two diverse
sites at South Yarra and Cranbourne. The Melbourne garden is located near
the city centre on South bank of the Yarra River. The Cranbourne site is a 45-minute drive away.
Royal Botanic Gardens Board Victoria administers the Gardens and is responsible to the Minister for
Environment.
The Melbourne
Garden Map and guide is available either online or may be downloaded and printed from a pdf file.
Historical
Melbourne Botanic Gardens rest on a traditional camping and meeting place for the local custodians of the
area - the Boonerwrung and Woiwurrung aboriginal people.
From the time of the European settlement of Melbourne in 1835, the area around the Botanic Gardens was
used for timber cutting, cattle grazing and as a field for brickmakers.
Regular flooding used to occur until a new channel for the Yarra River was dug out during 1896 to 1900
to straighten and widen the river. The spoil was used to fill the swampy lagoons and brickmakers pits
and also raise the riverbank.
Native and Non-native Vegetation
The gardens include a mixture of
native and non-native vegetation, which invariably hosts a diverse
range of both native and non-native fauna. Much of the gardens have been separated into themed sections.
The gardens host areas of non-native tough-wearing lawns of various sizes that are carefully maintained.
Botanic Gardens Attractions
With its dazzling vistas, tranquil lakes and ponds and diverse plant collections, the gardens are a place
of continual sighting and discovery. The visitor may amble along the many pathways to attractions, for example:
- Australian Forest Walk: Explore rainforests from Tasmania to Queensland. Signs tell the story of
rainforest habitats, highlighting the importance of conservation.
- Cacti & Succulents: A recreation of arid landscape, displaying extraordinary assortment of
cacti, aloes, agaves and bromeliads.
- Fern Gully: Visitors can experience the habitat of a deep, sub-tropical rainforest garden. Lots
of ferns, cool damp air and tall trees making canopy that keeps in the moist air.
- Oaks: These large trees are spectacular throughout the year, but Autumn is a particularly special
time when the elms, oaks and other deciduous trees explode into a mass of vibrant yellow, red and
orange.
Birds and Eels
Water birds are native to this area and have always been living on the natural billabongs around the Yarra River.
Some common water birds are:
- Black Swans, which are black with white tipped wings, are the largest birds in the Gardens.
- Black Ducks are very common. They eat waterweeds, seeds and insects.
- Eurasian Coots have a short white beak and black body. These birds are strong divers and can be
found grazing on the lawns.
- Dusky Moorhens have orange and red beaks, a brown/black body and usually found grazing on the lawns.
The eels seen in the water are short finned and they reach the lakes through storm water outlets that
connect the Yarra and the lake. Eels have a good sense of smell in order to find food. They
feed on aquatic insects, molluscs, fish, as well as plants. Large eels are females.
The reader might be interested in the
The Gurdies
, a natural conservation site near Melbourne.
References:
- "Aboriginal Resources Trail - Teachers Kit" Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Education Service. 2007."
pdf
The copyright of the article Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Australia: One of the World's Finest Gardens of Exotic Trees and Plants is owned by Garry A. Parkes. Permission to republish in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
Custom Search
Other Articles:
Website Construction:
Gum Leaf Designs © 2011
|
