Awesome Aussie Plants (and where to see them) Pt 1
Australia is known the world over for its unique animals. Ask anyone who’s not from Australia to tell you something about the country and there’s a pretty good chance that kangaroos or koalas will get a mention. But what about its plants? Every bit a quirky as the wildlife, Aussie plants have adapted over eons to become just as unique as their better-known animal counterparts. If you’re visiting Australia, check out the marvellous marsupials by all means, but make sure you find time to encounter the fabulous flora as well.
Around Melbourne you’ll find three gardens that showcase nothing but the unique array of Australian plants. Any one of them is worth a visit. And all of them are free.
This week, we’re taking a look at…
Maranoa Botanic Gardens
John Middleton Watson must have had both time and money to spend, because in 1901, aged in his 60s, he embarked on an unusual enterprise. He decided to build a garden. Not that that’s unusual in itself; it’s just that he purchased three-and-a-half acres with the sole intention of building a garden, but with no intention of building a house to go with it.
The story goes that his wife didn’t want him taking his daughters out to see the Australian bush so John, it seems, decided to create the bush to bring to them.
What set John’s garden apart from almost every other garden at the time was that he limited his plant selection to just Australian and New Zealand species. He named it Maranoa, an aboriginal word meaning flowing or alive, after visiting the Maranoa River in Queensland. Family legend has it that he walked there (all the way from Melbourne!) collecting plants and seeds along the way.
20 years after establishing the garden, John gave it to the local council so that when he died it would be opened to the public. When this happened a few years later, the gates were unlocked and those who could previously only peer over the fence were at last free to enter and enjoy the urban oasis that had been 25 years in the making.
The New Zealand plants were phased out in the following decade and in the 1960s the garden was expanded to 6.5 acres. Today, it’s home to around 3000 species and more than 5000 individual plants. The displays are categorised into major vegetation groups, and you can wander through everything from arid zones showcasing plants from the country’s interior to lush rainforests of the subtropics.
Some of the early plantings are still there, so look out for the significant old trees including a couple of fine Queensland Kauris (Agathis robusta), a Firewheel Tree (Stenocarpus sinuatus; the stunning flower of which has been adopted as the garden’s emblem) and several eucalypts, including a wonderful Sydney Redgum (Angophora costata).
The Gardens’ emblem, the flower of the Firewheel Tree
Maranoa Botanic Gardens is located at the end of Parring Road, Balwyn. It is open every day of the year except Good Friday and Christmas Day; weekdays from 7:30am to 4:00pm and weekends and public holidays 10:00am till 5:00pm. It is 11km east of the CBD and will take about 30 minutes to drive there by car from the city. To get there by public transport, take the 109 tram to stop #49 (Northcote Ave/Whitehorse Rd) then continue eastwards on foot a short way and turn into the first street on your left (Kireep Rd). Walk for about 300 meters and you’ll come to the gardens on your right.
