Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens Number 94 April 2020
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Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Number 94 April 2020
President Max Bourke
Vice President Linda Beveridge
Secretary Lynden Ayliffe
Treasurer Helen Elliot
General Committee Wendy Antoniak
pam rooney
David More
Alan Henderson
Peter Heaume
Neville Page Recovery: hail damaged stem and new growth, purple leaved Banksia robur, ANBG
Public Officer Wendy Antoniak
Exec.Director ANBG Dr Judy West
Post: Friends of ANBG, GPO Box 1777,
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
Telephone: (02) 6250 9548 (messages)
Website: www.friendsanbg.org.au
Friends’ activities and contacts In this Issue
Fronds Committee: Anne Rawson
Barbara Podger
3 The Banks Royal Commission
Cathy Robertson
Denis Warne 7 Botanical Bookshop
Pam Rooney
newsletter@friendsanbg.org.au
8 SEEDS: sponsorship, new staff,
Membership Lesley Harland a conference and an exhibition
Pam Cooke
membership@friendsanbg.org.au
10 Hope for wild tropical mountaintop plants
Growing Friends Maurice Hermann
Guides Lesley King
11 Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens' fire,
Botanic Art Groups Helen Hinton New Year's Eve
Photographic Group Rhonda Daniell
Plant Science Group John Busby 12 Botanical heritage on fire
Social Events Tricia Morton
14 Garden Shorts
Talks Convenor Jan Finley
For all these groups contact: 16 Friendly Chatter
info@friendsanbg.org.au
Booked Walks: Botanic Art Groups
bookedwalks@friendsanbg.org.au Growing Friends
Fronds welcomes your articles and photographs. Plant Science Group
Fronds is published 3 times per year; the deadline
for articles is mid-February for the April issue; mid- Photographic Group
June for the August issue and mid-October for the Volunteer Guides
December issue. Email or post material to the Fronds
Committee at the above address or place in the 18 Friends Briefs
Friends letterbox, located inside the Gardens’ Visitor
Centre, between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm, every day, 20 What's On at the Gardens, including Thursday Talks
Editorial messages: telephone (02) 6250 9548.
Design and layout: Pam Rooney
Printing: Union Offset Printers
ISSN 2207-6492
Front Cover: Seed of Solanum sp. photo: William Hall © ANBG
2 April 2020 Fronds 94
The Banks Royal Commission
Boronia Halstead
T
his is a story about the rela- characters for this story are immortal- receiving plants and plant material to and
tionships between early col- ised in the names Robert Brown gave to from the expanding known world.
lectors of Banksias from two some of these new species of banksias. Botany itself was evolving from a focus
centuries ago, their patrons They were the late 18th Century and on herbal pharmaceutical practice to
and the context in which they worked, early 19th Century collectors Daniel systematic plant classification. Solander
now glimpsed through some of the Solander, Archibald Menzies, George arrived in England from Sweden in
names of the plants in the new Banksia Caley, Peter Good, William Baxter 1763, sent by Linnaeus the Elder to
Garden. It is set in a time of discovery and Robert Brown himself; the artist, promote his method of classification.
and building empire. The plants being Ferdinand Bauer and the botanist/librar- He started working in the British
found in the New World were the ian/curator, Jonas Dryander. Visitors to Museum in its first decade, where he
subject of great curiosity. The imposing the Banksia Garden will find plants that met Joseph Banks, converting Banks to
figure of Joseph Banks weaves in and carry most of these names: B. solandri, the Linnaean system.
out of many of the lives of these early B. menzeisii, B. caleyi, B. baxteri, B.
Banks was driving both the collection of
collectors, firing interest at home and baueri, B. brownii and B. dryandroides.
new plants and their systematic curation.
directly or indirectly sponsoring their B. goodii was named after Peter Good,
His role was often indirect, as a wealthy
endeavours. With the patronage of King but it is not in the Banksia Garden.
patron of science who used his exten-
George III, Banks began to develop the
On Joseph Banks’ return to England sive network of connections with King
Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew as the
from the Endeavour voyage to the George III, the Admiralty, the scientific
showcase for plants collected from the
South Seas, he became something of a community in the British Museum, and
New World, with Banks becoming its
celebrity on the world’s scientific stage. as President of The Royal Society to fund
unofficial director on his return from
He and Daniel Solander had collected and promote scientific exploration.
the Endeavour voyage.
almost 1000 species of plants in New
Early taxonomic relationships South Wales, including those first five
The frame for the relationships starts specimens of Banksia. Solander was
with the formal publication by Carolus meticulous in his documentation of the
Linnaeus the Younger in 1782 of the specimens from the voyage and became
Banksia genus, commemorating Joseph Banks' secretary and librarian on his
Banks. Linneaus published four of the return to London. He lived in Banks’
five species collected by Banks and Soho Square house amid the specimens
Solander on the Endeavour voyage. The and books in his care, until his death in
fifth species, Banksia robur, was pub- 1782. His documentation of plants and
lished in 1800, by the Spanish botanist animals now comprises 51 manuscript
Antonio Jose Cavanilles (along with B. volumes in the Library of the British
marginata and B. oblongifolia). Museum. Their collaboration and
The first taxonomic arrangement of close friendship was commemorated in
Banksia (covering 31 species) came Brown’s naming of B. solandri, based on
another 28 years later, when the Scottish a specimen collected by William Baxter
botanist, Robert Brown, published his in the vicinity of King George Sound
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et (near Albany). The plant is a large
Insulae Van Diemen. He also published shrub-like species, with fawn coloured
the genus Dryandra (now merged into cylindrical flower heads and large,
Banksia) at this time, listing 13 species. deeply serrated leaves. It is restricted to
This name honoured the Swedish bota- the Stirling Ranges in Western Australia.
nist Jonas Dryander, Brown’s predeces- It has no lignotuber and relies on reseed- Banksia coccinea.
sor as Banks’ librarian and curator. ing to regenerate after fire. Ferdinand Bauer 1760-1826, artist.
Banks' and Britain’s imperial Publisher, London: F. Bauer, Date 1813
In Robert Brown’s Supplementum to Description
the second edition of his Prodromus botanic project print : engraving with hand colouring; plate
in 1830, he described 11 additional At this time, botanising was part of the mark 38.9 x 25.1 cm., on sheet 49.6 x 33.0 cm.
State Library of Victoria,
Banksia species, nine of which had imperial agenda to establish colonies and Accession no: 30328102131488/4
not been published previously. The exploit botanical resources, sending and
Fronds 94 April 2020 3
The Banks Royal Commission
Banks’ ‘floating gardens’ voyages, at Banks’ urging, was the 1791 The Discovery spent 17 days at King
Banks took on responsibility for build- (to 1795) voyage of HMS Discovery, George Sound in September 1791.
ing up King George’s private garden in under the command of George Here, Menzies became the first recorded
Kew in 1787, with a mission to build Vancouver. Archibald Menzies was the European to find banksias in southwest
acknowledged superiority … over every ship’s surgeon and naturalist, recom- WA. He took banksia seeds and plants
other similar establishment in Europe.1 He mended by Banks for the voyage and back to Banks and other collectors,
became interested in acquiring not just charged with caring for the plants he including the seed of B. grandis, B.
seeds, but the finest specimens of living was required to collect for Kew. Here are illicifolia, B. coccinea and B. praemorsa.5
plants from around the world. The more of Banks’ exacting instructions to Menzies was also the first European to
competition to have the ‘best’ collection Menzies for the care of plants collected: collect specimens of dryandras.
is reflected in Banks' instructions to one When you meet with curious or valu- 5. Groves, E. 2013, Archibald Menzies’s visit
of the collectors, Archibald Menzies: able Plants which you do not think to King George Sound, Western Australia,
likely to be propagated from seeds in September–October 1791, Archives of natural
You are to consider every one of [the
His Majesty’s Garden, you are to dig history 40:1, (139–148)
plants], as well as the Seeds of the
Plants which you shall collect during up proper Specimens of them, plant
the voyage, as wholly and entirely the them in the Glass Frame provided
property of His Majesty, and on no for that purpose, and use your utmost
account whatever to part with any of endeavours to preserve them alive till
them, or any cuttings, slips, or parts of you return. … As soon as you shall
any of them for any purpose whatever have provided yourself with living
but for his Majesty’s use.2 plants, and planted them in the Glass
frame before mentioned, you are at all
Banks worked with the Admiralty to times, when the Ship shall be watered,
change the design of ships so that they to acquaint the Commanding Officer
could be ‘floating gardens’ with ‘plant what quantity of water you judge neces-
cabins’. This ambitious project required sary for their support and preservation,
vessels to carry highly skilled gardeners by the week or month, in order that he
and collectors with a trained eye, who may be enabled to make a competent
could distinguish plants with novelty from provision of that article for their future
M Fagg APII ©
those already acquired. Vessel commanders maintenance and nourishment.4
were required to ensure that plants were
kept alive at sea, often for many months, 4. Banks letter to Archibald Menzies, 22
through extreme changes of climate. February 1791. Banksia menziesii, Firewood banksia
Plants were thus able to be moved to
and from London, the Cape, Timor,
Van Diemen’s Land, Tahiti and the
West Indies. Plants grown at Kew
Gardens for sending to New South
Wales included grape vines, apples,
pears, hops, plums, carob, mulberries,
walnuts, nectarines, peaches, willows
and olives, and seeds of herbs, conifers,
oaks and many other plants.3
Collection voyages
One of the earliest voyages to test the
viability of ‘plant cabins’ on long sea
1. Desmond, R. 1995, Kew: the history of the
Royal Botanic Gardens, p 92.
2. Banks letter to Archibald Menzies, 22
February 1791.
Banksia caleyi, from The Legacy of Banks & Solander Exhibition by the ANBG Botanical Art
3. http://www.asbs.org.au/newsletter/pdf/18-
Groups, 2020, Artist: Leonie Paynter
dec-177.pdf
4 April 2020 Fronds 94
In 1830 Robert Brown named B. seen members of the Proteaceae family. collecting expeditions over the three
menzeisii in honour of Menzies. Neither The next port of call was King George months they spent there, before Brown
Brown nor Menzies ever saw the plant Sound, part of another global hotspot, and Good departed on the Investigator
growing.6 The common name for this where Brown collected some five hun- to circumnavigate New Holland in an
plant is Firewood Banksia because it dred species, including 17 specimens anticlockwise direction. Brown col-
burns well. It is a shrub or tree, up to of banksias, dryandras and the Albany lected three species of Banksias on Fraser
10m tall, with spectacular, large, acorn- pitcher plant. At Lucky Bay east of Island and one at Sandy Cape (possibly
shaped flower heads, in shades from red, Esperance, Brown collected specimens B. aemula).11 Peter Good contracted
through pink to yellow. The plant can of B. nutans, B. repens, B. pulchella, and dysentery on the last leg of the voyage
resprout from a lignotuber after fire, as B. speciosa.7 The new banksia plants and died in Sydney Cove when the
well as regenerate from seed. were given space in the garden on the vessel returned.
George Caley came on the Australian quarterdeck.8 Soon after arriving in Brown sent his collection of live plants
plant collection scene in 1800, spon- Port Jackson, Brown wrote to Banks, back to England on the Porpoise, but
sored by Banks. He collected thousands advising that he had so far collected 20 they were lost when the vessel was
of specimens of plants, enriching the species of Banksia, of which four were wrecked on a reef a week after depar-
collections in Banks’ herbarium and new.9 Almost two years later, Brown ture. Brown and Bauer botanised in
Robert Brown’s own collection, as well informed Banks that the region was ‘... Australia for another two years before
as providing seed and plants for the by far the richest in new and remark- returning to England in October 1805
gardens at Kew. Brown used Caley’s able plants that we have yet seen’.10 with the remainder of their collections,
material to describe 14 species of In Sydney, Brown based himself at including 3,600 specimens of plants
Proteaceae. Caley’s specimen of B. spinu- Parramatta, and he and Peter Good and 2,073 drawings by Bauer. The
losa var collina collected at Newcastle accompanied George Caley on some collections and drawings formed the
was declared the neotype for the taxon wellspring for Brown’s future publica-
by Alex George. Robert Brown named 7. Vallance, T. G., Moore D. T. and Groves, tion of the Prodomus.
E. W. 2001, Nature's Investigator: the diary
B. caleyi in his honour in 1830. It has Brown’s prodigious contribution to
of Robert Brown in Australia, 1801-1805,
the common names of Caley’s Banksia Australian Biological Resources Study. botany and the taxonomy of Australian
or Red Lantern Banksia. It is one of 8. Brown’s journal entry, 28 December 1801, plants, including banksias, is remem-
the pendulous banksias, with droop- Vallance et al, p 103. bered in the name of B. brownii, as well
ing reddish flower heads on a shrub up 9. Mabberley, D.J. 1985, Jupiter Botanicus:
as the genus Brunonia. William Baxter
to 2m in height, with serrated leaves. Robert Brown of the British Museum, British
Museum. suggested to Brown that he should
It is killed by fire. The species is found 10. Brown to Banks, letter, 6 August 1803 formally name B. brownii after himself
south and east of the Stirling Ranges in as Baxter had already been using this
southwest WA. name for the species. Banksia brownii
Robert Brown was part of the team of has the common name of Feathered-
‘men of science’ hand-picked by Banks leaved Banksia. It usually has reddish
for Matthew Flinder’s Investigator flower spikes, held on an erect shrub
voyage. Supporting the mission was up to 6m high. It is found in ranges
Ferdinand Bauer as natural history near Albany in WA but is critically
artist, William Westall as landscape endangered and very susceptible to
artist, and Peter Good as the gardener. Phytophthora cinnamomi infection. It is
Before departure Brown acquainted a reseeding banksia and is killed by fire.
himself with existing Australian speci- Overly frequent fires could threaten
mens in Banks’ herbarium. He was also remaining populations.
familiar with the specimens brought Peter Good distinguished himself as a
back by his friend, Archibald Menzies. collector in his own right and alongside
The voyage embarked in July 1801. Robert Brown on the voyage of the
En route, Brown spent two weeks Investigator, keeping a diary and making
J Wrigley, APII ©
making botanical expeditions at the detailed notes about growing conditions
biodiversity hotspot around the Cape to accompany specimens collected in
of Good Hope where he would have Australia, destined for Kew Gardens.
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Banksia_menziesii Banksia brownii Feather-leaved banksia 11. Vallance et al p 234.
Fronds 94 April 2020 5
The Banks Royal Commission
Good’s collections of seeds and plants Porongurups in southwest WA. in travels around Albany in 1829.
from this voyage were combined with Ferdinand Bauer was the botanical Brown cited a specimen of B. spinulosa
Brown’s collection after Good’s death. artist on the Investigator voyage and var cunninghamii collected by Baxter
B. goodii was named in his honour by worked closely with Brown in produc- at Mornington Peninsular in his 1830
Robert Brown in 1830. The plant was ing detailed plant studies, and collect- Supplementum. Specimens of some of
first collected by William Baxter at King ing plants. He used a microscope to the plants he collected are held at Kew
George Sound in 1829. B. goodii is a produce remarkably accurate drawings. Gardens today.
creeping shrub with yellow flower heads He made 1540 drawings of Australian Baxter collected the type specimen
– one of the smallest banksias. It is rare plants on the voyage. He drew speci- of B. baxteri which was named in his
and endangered, and has a very restricted mens in pencil, then used an elaborate honour by Brown in 1830. Its common
range of less than 25kms in fragmented colour coding system, so that he could name is the Birdsnest Banksia. It has
populations, between Albany and the complete illustrations accurately at a prominent ovoid lemon yellow flower
later time. The code had 1000 differ- heads and distinctive leaves with
ent shades, including 200 greens and a triangular-shaped lobes on a shrub up
similar number of browns and yellows. to four metres high. It grows between
He was a perfectionist and continued Albany and the Stirling Ranges. It is
working on his sketches and etchings killed by fire and holds its seeds in fol-
F Humphreys, APII ©
of plants collected in New Holland for licles until they open with fire.
many years after his return to England. Musings for the Garden
Bauer and his brother Franz are com- Visitors to the Banksia Garden might
memorated both in the plant genus imagine how it felt to be one of the first
Banksia goodii Bauera (and the family Baueraceae), and Europeans to find extraordinary banksia
in B. baueri. The first specimen of this plants in the wild. The ANBG horticul-
plant was collected by William Baxter at tural team knows how difficult it can
King Georges Sound, and described by be to grow many of these plants away
Robert Brown. Its common names are from their natural environment today,
Possum Banksia or Woolly Banksia, as it but how much more difficult would it
has large possum-like flower heads, held have been to keep them alive on a long
K Thaler, APII ©
low to the ground on a many-branched sea voyage to another hemisphere, or
shrub. It is killed by fire and regenerates propagate and attempt to grow them in
from seed. It grows on sandy soils in a European setting?
Banksia baueri Possum banksia
shrubland in southwest WA.
This short account explores just a
William Baxter was an English plant few of the fascinating human threads
collector employed by plant nurseries in linking many of the plants in the new
the 1820s to collect plants in Australia. Banksia Garden – men commissioned
On four trips, he visited the southwest to find seeds, plants and herbarium
coast (around King George Sound and specimens for the Royal Botanic
Esperance) of Australia, Mornington Gardens at Kew via Joseph Banks.
Peninsula and Kangaroo Island (1823, There is a contemporary twist tying up
1825 and 1828-9), where he collected some of these connections: some of the
banksia and dryandra seeds and plants. B. solandri and B. brownii plants in the
Among them were the first specimens of new Banksia Garden are grafted onto
B. gardneri and B. dryandroides, col- root stock of the eastern states species
lected at King George Sound in 1823.12 first collected by Banks and Solander,
In 1824, he collected Banksia media completing a circle in both botanical
between Cape Arid and Lucky Bay, and historical time.
then B. caleyi, B. baxteri, B. goodii, B.
Boronia Halstead
brownii, and B. baueri and B. solandri
12. George, A. 2012, The Banksia album: two
hundred years of botanical art, National
Library of Australia.
Banksia baxteri, Bird's nest banksia
6 April 2020 Fronds 94
Banksias: Second Edition
Alex George, Kevin Collins and Kathy Collins
Banksias are Australia’s most iconic plants after Eucalypts
— known for thousands of years to Australians and —
through writing and art — to many more who have never
visited this land.
This extensively revised edition includes the recently
discovered Banksia vincentia, with descriptions and
illustrations of all 79 known species with many new
photographs and updated species descriptions. It
provides the history of their discovery, evolution, how to
find and grow them, and how they have inspired artists
and artisans. With some 400 beautiful colour illustrations
it is the comprehensive, up-to-date guide to these unique Back cover Illustration:
and fascinating plants. Celia Rosser, Banksia lemanniana 1988. Watercolour and pencil, 55.8
x 76.2 cm.
RRP: $69.95, Hardback, 384 pages 233 x 152mm, Monash University Collection. Courtesy of Monash Universiry
Museum of Art.
Over 400 illustrations in full colour
The launch of the second edition of this book is planned for Sunday the 26th April, 1 pm, Botanical Bookshop.
The launch will include a brief talk about the book given by Alex George and/or Kevin Collins (co-authors).
Hand-signed copies will be available for sale.
to life through stunning colour TEN BLUE WRENS and what a lot
photographs, plus informative text of wattle!
from the original book. 2015, Elizabeth Honey, Soft cover, 31
The text is simple and pages, Colour illustrations, $15.00
understandable, and the messages An absolutely Australian counting
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES – The strong and powerful. In this book that brings to life some great
volume, Wohlleben explains the Aussie icons! This fun book features
Illustrated Edition
interconnectedness of forest bowerbirds, Uluru, gum leaves,
2018, Peter Wohlleben, Hardback, 166 ecosystems, the importance of fungal kelpies, potoroos, pavlova, aussie
pages, Colour photographs, $50.00 communication, life lessons learned rules football, Indigenous artists
Peter Wohlleben’s international in tree school, recycling systems and doing some dot painting, Sydney
bestseller ‘The Hidden Life of Trees’ more. Dotted throughout the text Harbour Bridge and of course blue
opened readers' eyes to the amazing are insightful quotes from the author wrens and wattle! The colourful
processes at work in forests every that help sum up so many of the illustrations were made by cutting
day. Now, this beautifully illustrated messages in the book. The beautiful the designs out of plastic paper and
edition brings those wonders photographs provide the perfect making stencils, which were then
complement to Wohlleben’s words, dabbed with coloured paint with
with striking close-ups of bark, a sponge to create the final eye-
seeds, fungi and insect life, as well as catching artworks.
panoramic shots of vast green forests
and landscapes. A great early learning book for young
children!
Opening this book, you are about to
enter a wonderland. (Tim Flannery,
author of Atmosphere of Hope and
The Weather Makers.)
A veritable tree whisperer, Mr
Wohlleben projects an irresistible
enthusiasm for his subject, and after
a few hours in his company you will
never look in the same way at our
ubiquitous but enigmatic neighbours.
(Wall Street Journal)
Fronds 94 April 2020 7
SEEDS: sponsorship, new staff, a conference and an exhibition
Tom North, Curator of the National Seed Bank
T
he Seedy Volunteers, or The Seedy Vols are also decked out in ANBG staff on field trips and later assist
Seedy Vols, at the National new ANBG/John McGrath branded with seed cleaning and sorting in the
Seed Bank have secured uniforms which improves the public National Seed Bank.
a sponsorship with John visibility of the work that we do. Our The National Seed bank is also pleased
McGrath Auto Group that will provide partnership with John McGrath is for to welcome two new staff to the small
this group of Friend volunteers with three years and over that time we are team. Millie Stevens is the new Research
much needed investment in new field aiming to complete the collection of the Technician, taking on the role left
equipment and an increase in our ability entire ACT flora. vacant by Caroline Chong. Millie’s
to take on more and longer field trips. role involves germination research and
The Seedy Vols program commenced in
The sponsorship has so far provided: First 2011 and targets the collection of seed building capacity to deliver ex situ
Aid training to 15 Seedy Vols; remote from native plants in threatened com- conservation, in particular across species
wilderness First Aid training to seed bank munities within the ACT and surround- from Commonwealth National Parks.
staff; a Toughpad for assistance with ing NSW regions. To prepare for this Dr Gemma Farrell is our new Seed
collections mapping and field notes; and work the Seedy Vols undertake special Scientist. Many of you may remember
Garmin inReach for satellite phone and training in collecting seeds, plant identi- Gemma from her work with us on the
emergency communication as well as fication, recording notes and taking her- Alpine project. Gemma is now working
coordinates for collections. barium specimens. They support expert on a number of projects including the
Tropical Mountain Plant Science project
which runs for another two years.
The extra staff and volunteers mean that
our current seed bank facility is bursting
at the seams to hold everyone plus the
collections. The seed bank holds around
8,200 individual seed collections from
approximately 3,700 taxa, with collec-
tions going back to the early 1960s.
We’re looking forward to a new seed
bank, which is getting closer, with more
room for staff, students and volunteers,
plus it will be purpose built with appro-
priate conditions and security to hold
our precious collections. We hope we
will be able to give you more detail on
the new seed bank in the August issue
of Fronds.
Seed of Epacris petrophila
occurs. It is dominant in alpine and The Australasian Seed Science
Micrograph taken by Brook Clinton
at the National Seed Bank, ANBG. subalpine feldmark, heath and bogs Conference, is being held from 5–9
Seed from a specimen collected by in the Australian alpine region. The April at the ANU, hosted by the
Sarah Fethers on 19 March 2008, on species occurs in the ACT (Namadgi ANBG. The Friends sponsored the
Snowy river, southern NSW, near the National Park), NSW (Kosciuszko Keynote Speaker, Dr Si-Chong Chen,
Victorian border. National Park), in high altitude areas from the Millennium Seed Bank of the
The image was used in the $1 in Victoria (Lake Mountain, Baw Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Dr Chen’s
stamp booklet issue, Seed Banking Baw Plateau and Mt Howlitt) and area of expertise is as an ecologist work-
Australia, from Australia Post in Tasmania (Central Plateau). This ing on macroecological patterns in seed
Collectables, November 2019, with near-threatened low, bushy shrub is
ecology. The conference themes cover
the following text: usually erect and grows to around
biology, evolutionary ecology, societal
‘The common name of Epacris 80 centimetres high. It bears small,
and cultural uses of seeds, plus the
petrophila is Snow Heath, indicating terminal clusters of white flowers
practical topics of sourcing, using and
the environment in which it between December and February.’
seed bank management. The conference
8 April 2020 Fronds 94
Curtis Glass Art
website, at ww.seedscience2020.com.au,
lists the leading speakers and their areas
of expertise.
(Late note: unfortunately the confer-
ence has been postponed to September
2021 due to travel restrictions relating
to Covid 19.)
The exhibition, Seeds in the Bank, in
the Visitor Centre Gallery, opened on 5
Fanny Karouta-Manasse
March and runs until 12 April, to cover
the period of the conference. It displays
the extraordinary diversity and beauty
of the seeds of Australian native plants
collected from all over the country and
held in the National Seed Bank. An
example is on the front cover of this Tom North and Seedy Vol, Cathy Franzi, collecting grass seed at Molonglo Reach
issue of Fronds.
A number of techniques are used to
photograph seeds. Images of very small
seeds, less than one mm in diameter,
are taken with the high magnification
microscope. Larger seeds are photo-
graphed using a normal camera fitted
with a macro lens. In both cases the
final image is the result of image stack-
ing where numerous photos are taken at
Pam Rooney
different focal points, then the images
are electronically stacked to give an
image that is in focus from front to
back or top to bottom. The number of Hanging the exhibition, Seeds in the Bank
images taken may vary between six and
90 per seed. Two further techniques
used to produce these images are a
scanning electron microscope or a small
X-ray unit. The use of X-rays also helps
to determine whether the seeds are
potentially viable.
In addition to the photographic prints
there are a number of original artworks
by members of the Botanic Art Groups.
The exhibition displays sculptural glass
works from the studio of Curtis Glass
Art. The sculptures have been cre-
ated especially for the exhibition and
Barbara Podger
designed to engage your imagination
with the architectural beauty of seeds.
So come to the Gallery and wonder at
the hidden world of seeds.
Rosemary Purdie, guest speaker at the Seedy Vols, Margaret Clarke and Barbara
launch of the seed photo exhibition Podger in the field, wearing their John McGrath
sponsored shirts
Fronds 94 April 2020 9
Hope for wild tropical mountaintop plants
Toby Golson
Since our first communication in Fronds in April 2019, ANBG Gardens, Traditional Owner groups as well as Canberra-based
staff have successfully participated in four field trips to far specialists. In April 2019, Dr Lydia Guja, Seed Conservation
north Queensland as part of the Ian Potter Foundation funded Biologist and Manager of the National Seed Bank (NSB) and
collaborative TroMPS (Tropical Mountain Plants Science) Pete Bredell, senior horticulturalist from the Nursery, spent
Project. Led by the Australian Tropical Herbarium (ATH), time collecting along Mt Lewis Road as part of the project’s
the project is aimed at helping secure the future of Australia’s initial field collecting trip. In June, Julie Percival, currently
climate-threatened tropical mountaintop plants by establishing ANBG threatened species coordinator, and Toby Golson, cur-
an ex situ conservation reserve to ‘backup’ at-risk wild popula- rently Living Collections coordinator, visited Mt Bellenden
tions. The project incorporates scientific research, horticultural Ker, Mt Fisher and Mt Windsor. In August, Nursery manager
display and public education activities that underpin and Joe McAuliffe had the pleasure of climbing Queensland’s high-
complement the ex-situ conservation objective. est peak Mt Bartle Frere and camping for three nights near the
Field collections of propagation material, backed up by herbar- summit. Finally, because they wanted a dose of real tropical
ium voucher specimens, are central to this project. Field expe- heat, Julie and Lydia returned to Mt Lewis and Mt Windsor
ditions, some quite straightforward, others more challenging, with Millie Stevens, research technician from the NSB, and
but always great fun, have involved personnel from the ATH, Mya Anlezark, senior horticulturalist, in December.
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Cranbourne, Cairns Botanic As a result of these trips, there are currently around 40 species
in propagation at the Nursery. These are all endemic to the
higher altitudes of the Wet Tropics where they are distributed
predominantly in mountain refugia that are some of the most
severely climate change-threatened habitats in the country.
ANBG is sharing the work of propagation for the project with
the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Cranbourne, and together
we hope to establish conservation collections here in Canberra
and distribute plants to Mt Tomah, Brisbane, Cranbourne and
Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens. Current propagation
success is a great achievement for our specialist nursery staff
given most of the species haven’t previously been cultivated, as
Stuart Worboys
well as allowing for differences in climatic conditions between
the Wet Tropics and Canberra.
The project also aims to secure seed collections to ensure the
conservation of genetically diverse material, enable future
Lydia Guja, Amelia Stevens (NSB ANBG), Karen Sommerville &
Graeme Errington (PlantBank RBGSYD). use of seed, and conduct research to better understand tropi-
Collecting Dracophyllum sayeri Mt Bellenden Kerr cal mountaintop seed biology and ecology. NSB is working
closely with project partners from PlantBank at The Australian
Botanic Gardens Mt Annan to investigate the little known
storage and germination requirements of tropical mountaintop
species. Following the December collecting trip Millie Stevens
travelled to PlantBank to assist with initial testing of seed to
determine desiccation and freezing tolerances of species not
previously held in seed banks. The results of such tests will
inform what conditions are best for seed storage to ensure they
remain viable. Seed scientist, Dr Gemma Farrell (nee Hoyle,
who previously conducted alpine seed research at the ANU
and NSB), has joined the TroMPS seed research team at NSB.
Gemma will undertake the next steps in our seed research,
determining what conditions are required for germination and
the limits at which species are able to germinate and survive.
Lydia Guja
Building a picture of how and which species might persist in a
changing climate is an integral part of this science and conser-
Mya Anlezark and Julie Percival (ANBG)
vation project.
Collecting Symplocus graniticola Mt Lewis
10 April 2020 Fronds 94Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens' fire, New Year's Eve
Michael Anlezark, Manager
At approximately 7.30 am on New Years layers gone and fence posts still burning, Over the following weeks we removed
Eve 2019 intense fire raged from the west everything now just black and brown. many dangerous trees and moved over
towards Batemans Bay; it crossed the Incredibly through the trees we could 4500 plants out of our nursery and
Princes Highway and roared through the see the Visitor Centre still standing into the safe homes of our volunteers,
Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden. although we couldn’t get to it as the keen to participate in our ‘foster a box’
The speed and intensity of the fire was bridge was now gone. scheme. As the site became safer we
shocking; in less than 30 minutes the The fruits of our recent $3million were able to allow volunteers in to assist
entire 103 acre site was engulfed. redevelopment were mostly intact, our and with the help of the Army start
With roads closed and continuing visitor centre, new café, herbarium and cleaning up and rebuilding burnt retain-
threats of fire it was not possible to upgraded propagation facilities survived ing walls and path edges.
access the site until almost 48 hours with just minor damage. Insurance claims are being processed
later. What confronted us was alarm- What was destroyed were our mainte- and plans for a new bridge drawn up.
ing; charred trees, ground and shrub nance depots containing every tool we With the continued support and com-
owned. Shipping containers became mitment of Eurobodalla Shire Council,
ovens that baked our mowers and util- our Friends group, volunteers and the
ity vehicles. We lost our tractor, bird community, there is no doubt that the
hide, every bridge, walkway, gazebo and Garden will continue to recover.
pergola, irrigation infrastructure, shade A tragic fire will provide us with the
houses, water tanks, garden residence opportunity to create a place that was
and sheds. Our Pavilion was partially better than before and allow us to
destroyed as was the bbq shelter and continue our role of education and
some playground equipment. conservation of the precious South East
Almost every plant on site was affected Corner Bioregional flora.
except for valuable stock plants that For information about the reopening
were sheltered within the nursery com- of the gardens go to: www.erbg.org.au
plex. Tragically most of our wildlife was
now either dead or gone.
Recovery started immediately, saving
whatever plants we could from through-
out our nursery and damaged orchid
house and with emergency repairs to
water infrastructure.
Images: Michael Anlezark
Fronds 94 April 2020 11Botanical heritage on fire
Denis Warne
T
he past summer confronted affected states. While severity varies around 200 are now known to exist in
us with a fire season like from place to place, the statistics are the wild. They are on the international
none we had known before. staggering. For NSW alone, 5.3 million Red List as critically endangered because
Pictures of desperate koalas hectares (6.7 per cent of NSW) has been their tiny geographic distribution
and kangaroos struggling across burnt fire-affected, including: means a single event could drive them
out areas have been common – but what • More than 37 per cent of the to extinction in the wild. The Gospers
about our botanical heritage? Many national park estate. fire, threatening a large part of the Blue
national parks have been substantially
• More than 80 per cent of the
burnt, threatening an unknown number
World Heritage listed Greater Blue
of critically endangered plant species.
Mountains Area and 54 per cent
Two botanic gardens, no doubt familiar
of the NSW components of the
to many Friends, suffered voracious
Gondwana Rainforests of Australia
fires – Eurobodalla Regional Botanic
World Heritage property.
Garden, and Blue Mountains Botanic
Garden (Mt Tomah). Mt Tomah has However, despite the fires raging, some
since reopened. of our critically endangered species have
been helped to pull through. Here are
Both the NSW Department of
the stories of three.
Planning, Industry & Environment
and the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Saving the Jewels
(RBGS) have provided perspectives Wollemia nobilis (Wollemi Pine) is per-
on the impact of the 2019-20 fires for haps our most famous floral species; a
NSW, but the issues are similar in all single stand was discovered in 1994, and Nightcap Oak shoot, (Eidothea hardeniana)
Helicopter lowering fire fighter into the Wollemi forest. (Both photos: Environment, Energy and Science Group | Department of Planning,
Industry and Environment)
12 April 2020 Fronds 94Mountains and surrounds, was poten- Mt Imlay. Once again, a small popula- Conservation (ANPC) recommends
tially one such event. Enormous efforts tion with small geographic distribution, joining a local bushcare volunteer
were made to save the wild stands. Large exposes the species to possible extinc- group in fire impacted areas. Greening
air tankers spread fire retardant and spe- tion in a single event. Accordingly, in Australia and Conservation Volunteers
cialist firefighters were winched into the 2019 the species was classified as criti- Australia have also received funding
remote site by helicopter to set up an cally endangered. In late December the towards habitat rehabilitation in recently
irrigation system in the gorge to increase ‘Border Fire’ badly burnt the Mt Imlay announced Commonwealth funding.
moisture content of the ground fuels. As Park. At the time of writing, the status of For all of us who simply wish to enjoy
the fire approached, NPWS firefighters the wild populations of the Mount Imlay time in the bush environment again,
were again winched in to operate the Guinea Flower is uncertain. However, it some of ANPC’s detailed recommenda-
irrigation system and helicopters water- is present in the ANBG and, to the great tions apply:
bucketed the fire edge. relief of Gardens’ staff, the plants survived
• If walking in burnt areas, keep to
Subsequently, a detailed scientific the damage wrought by the January 20
formed tracks and avoid areas where
assessment, undertaken by the NSW hailstorm. Should restoration in the wild
plants might be re-growing.
Government, noted that while some be required, the Gardens is in a position
to contribute via seed or live plants • Be even more vigilant than normal
trees are charred, the species has
about the inadvertent introduction
survived this summer’s fires. Positively, In all the above cases, and many more,
of weeds, pests or disease as the
this fire has been the first opportu- post-fire assessments are being con-
burnt ecosystem will be fragile for
nity to see the fire response of mature ducted, both to understand the impact
some time.
Wollemi Pine in a natural setting. Such of fires on the species and to inform
information will aid managing fire in future conservation efforts which could • Be vigilant in nearby unburnt
these sites in the future. include ongoing special protection or areas too, as these act as refuges for
translocation of species in the wild. biodiversity from which species can
In the Nightcap National Park in
repopulate burnt areas.
north-east NSW, another ‘dinosaur Rehabilitation
tree’ and other threatened species were • Don’t clear dead items as they
Damage, however, extends beyond indi-
in the path of northern NSW fires in may sprout or provide shelter – let
vidual species; rehabilitation of whole
November 2019. Eidothea hardeniana nature do its thing.
ecosystems across considerable expanses
(Nightcap Oak) has only 120 specimens is needed. National parks, botanic For the fire damaged Botanic Gardens
left in the wild and, like the Wollemi gardens and not-for-profit organisa- and for the long term conservation
Pine, is only found in a single location. tions are all springing into action. The activities of all Botanic Gardens, every
Under a government Saving our Species Commonwealth Government has funded Friend will help!
program, emergency cuttings were taken some initial rehabilitation activities and Note for the Future (RBGS)
and removed to a specialist nursery as the Threatened Species Commissioner ‘The expectation that climate change
‘insurance’. Cuttings were also taken of is to establish an expert panel to priori- will continue to facilitate fires in the
the endangered Elaeocarpus sedentarius tise recovery for threatened species and future highlights the importance of
(Minyon Quandong) and Uromyrtus ecological communities. ensuring that we preserve plants in
australis (Peach Myrtle). The popula- Even the experts don’t quite know seed banks and botanic gardens, and
tions of Nightcap Oak and these other yet how it will all play out. Some understand the response of plants to a
endangered species were reported safe rehabilitation will happen naturally changing climate. We need to make a
on 5 February. – the Australian bush is good at that. substantial inroad to collecting as many
Yet another endangered species may Rainforests will struggle the most as they of Australia‘s 25,000 or so plant species,
have a role for our own Gardens. are not adapted to fire. What we prob- and their genetic diversity, as possible
Hibbertia circinata (Mount Imlay ably know least about in such extensive to be sure of preserving them into the
Guinea Flower) was first identified fires are all the small species that provide future, and combine this with programs
in 2018 below a rocky knoll near the ecosystem services, such as the birds, to recover threatened species and restore
summit of Mt Imlay, in the Mt Imlay insects, fungi, lichen and algae. We do species in the wild.
National Park near Eden on the south know that weeds and pests will be a Plants are vital for life. These fires high-
coast of NSW. It is a small shrub to major impediment to rehabilitation. light how much more research is needed
1.5m tall with small yellow flowers and For those who wish to be involved, to ensure their, and our, survival.’
all known specimens in the wild are in the Australian Network for Plant
the vicinity of the summit and ridge of
Fronds 94 April 2020 13GARDENS SHORTS
Recovering from the hail storm
The hail storm that swept through Canberra
on 20 January 2020 with hail as big as golf
balls resulted in significant and lasting damage
to plants, buildings and property in the
Gardens.
Staff, contractors, surveyors and volunteers
immediately got onto the task of cleaning up
leaves and branches that had been stripped
from plants and covered almost every square
centimetre of paths. Gardens staff are grate-
ful to the nearly forty members of the Friends
who assisted with clearing the main concourse
outside of the Visitor Centre, the café area
and the Eucalypt Lawn. With safety to staff
and visitors as the foundation, recovery efforts Leaves and branches litter the paths of the Rainforest Gully after plants were
have continued including tree surgery, patch- stripped bare by hail.
ing up and covering skylights and tiled roofs,
making areas safe where glass was broken,
cleaning all roofs and gutters from debris and
moving nursery collections from greenhouses
that were badly damaged.
While the precious living collection took a
battering, it is anticipated that the plants will
mostly recover over the coming months.
Photos: Parks Australia
Report from Executive Director,
Judy West
It has been a challenging start to the Gardens’ Paths hidden by leaf litter outside the Ellis Rowan Building after hail storm
50th Anniversary year. The effects of the hail
storm on 20 January are still visible with plants
With great anticipation, we will officially open the Banksia Garden with a
still suffering from external and internal damage,
Banksia Festival from 23 April through 3 May. The Banksia Garden will be
while others are beginning to show signs of
a showcase for the Gardens giving visitors a whole new perspective on this
recovery. I commend the resilience of the staff
iconic Australian genus. It has been possible through the dedication of our
during the onslaught of drought, smoke, fire
staff and many collaborations across the country.
mitigation and hail damage and thank the many
Friends who assisted in clean-up immediately We have funding for capital works projects, which will be completed by the
following the storm. end of June, including refurbishment of the Banks Building following exten-
The Gardens is moving forward into 2020 with sive hail damage – the glasshouse room will
lots of exciting new developments and collabora- have a covered roof.
tions. This month, we will host the Australasian A complete upgrade is also planned for the
Seed Science Conference, a significant interna- Crosbie Morrison foyer and toilets. The
tional event and effort to organise speakers and timber bridge at the end of the Tasmanian
workshops with leading experts, focusing on the Gully will be replaced with eco-friendly
importance of seed science to the future of plant material, a similar product to the rainfor-
conservation and food security. Thank you to the est boardwalk. Replacement environmental
Friends for financial support of the conference monitoring stations will soon appear in the
international speaker. Rainforest Gully and the Red Centre Garden.
14 April 2020 Fronds 94Let the 50th Anniversary celebrations begin!
The Gardens launched our 50th anni- the Embassy of Sweden in Canberra,
versary program on 5 March with the together with the Gardens, will present
popular Summer Sounds kicking off an exhibition, Paradise Lost – Daniel
the exciting year-long celebration (still Solander’s Legacy. The exhibition com-
summer by the date of the equinox!). memorates the legacy of the Swedish
From now through December 2020, the Endeavour botanist Daniel Solander
Gardens will host activities to celebrate and the first encounter between
our golden anniversary and showcase Sweden and the Pacific Region, New
the importance of this national institu- Zealand and Australia.
tion. Throughout the year, there will The exhibition consists of artwork by
be events and exhibitions featuring ten artists, selected to bring a unique
week-long festivals, music, cinema, giant vision to this historical event and
sculptures, wildlife and art, for all ages Daniel Solander’s legacy. The Embassy
to enjoy. of Sweden in Canberra toured the
The Gardens has been work- exhibition last year in Wellington,
ing closely with Canberra New Zealand. It will be on show at the
distillery Underground Gardens from 20 May – 14 June.
Heidrun Lohr
Spirits to create a special Sonata among the Banksias
anniversary gin, using Banksia serrata was first collected on 29
botanical ingredients from April 1770 by Joseph Banks and Daniel
the Gardens. The gin was Solander at Botany Bay. It marked the
launched alongside the Bree Van Reyk was commissioned to
official beginning of botany in Australia. compose a musical piece for the opening of
Gardens’ 50th anniversary To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Banksia Garden
and is now available for pur- the Gardens and the inauguration of
chase through Underground’s website Inspired by the Gardens and the people
the new Banksia Garden, the Canberra
www.undergroundspirits.com.au who recognise and cherish the beauty
International Music Festival (CIMF)
and diversity of Australia’s plants, the
Paradise Lost has co-commissioned a special musical
aim was to have a piece of music that can
To coincide with the 250th anniver- piece, Banksia Sonata from Bree Van
be played within the Banksia Garden as
sary of Cook’s first voyage to Australia, Reyk, drummer, percussionist, com-
people experience its splendour.
poser and sound artist.
Banksia Sonata will be performed
by Ensemble Offspring as part of the
Banksia Festival and a CIMF concert
on Friday 1 May.
Sharing inspiration beyond the
Gardens’ gates
Gardens curator, David Taylor, recently
George Serras, National Museum of Australia
shared his passion for Australian plants
with the Friends of the National
Museum of Australia at a special
event for donors to the Museum’s new
Forecourt Garden of Australian plants.
Guests were excited to learn more
about the specific native plantings and
especially how they fare in the Canberra
climate. The garden is designed as a
mosaic and represents the regeneration
of native species following a ‘cool burn’
David Taylor talks about the plants of the Forecourt Garden at the National Museum to that is used in traditional Indigenous
Friends of the NMA land management.
Fronds 94 April 2020 15Friendly Chatter
Later in the year in August we will be Canberra suburban block are a particu-
Botanic Art Groups participating in a joint exhibition with lar focus. As new housing in the ACT
This year started with our first ever South Korean botanical artists at the heads towards larger houses and smaller
Australian Wildlife exhibition, running Visitor Centre Gallery, entitled Two gardens on smaller blocks of land, plants
from mid December. Despite the worry- Worlds. This exhibition will then travel which grow up to two metres high,
ing conditions, many people came and to South Korea in December. There will and are frost and drought tolerant are
appreciated the opportunity to see such be more information about these events always popular at the Growing Friends
lovely artwork. Unfortunately, weather in the August Fronds. sales. Also, as all plants are sourced from
restricted access to the Gardens for a the ANBG, buyers wanting to see how
number of days. Nevertheless, we were Our annual botanical art
plants grow in Canberra can search out
pleased with sales of paintings and cards exhibition, Legacy of Banks and
the plant in the Gardens.
and plan to hold another wildlife exhibi- Solander, will be held from 18 April
to 17 May, 2020. You don’t have to have ‘green thumbs’
tion in the future. or be experienced in propagating native
It is shaping up to be an exciting 2020. Kate Ramsey
plants to join Growing Friends. We have
The Seed Bank has commissioned a Growing Friends many very experienced members only
number of our botanical artists to paint too willing to help new members learn
Gardeners in Canberra have had a
seeds to be included in their exhibition, more about native plants and how to
tough few months and Growing Friends
Seeds from the Bank (Visitor Centre propagate them. For more information
are no exception. After weathering the
Gallery, 5 March to 12 April). This will please email growingfriends@friendsanbg.
hot, dry summer pretty well, we were
be followed by our 13th annual botani- org.au
hit with the full force of the hail storm
cal art exhibition from 18 April to 17 Donna Growcock
on the afternoon of 20 January. The
May. This year our theme is Legacy of
Growing Friends igloo, shade house and
Banks and Solander. All art works will Plant Science Group
potted plants were amongst the casual-
feature either a plant species collected in
ties. Despite the Gardens being fully Traceability of specimen provenance
Australia by Banks and Solander during
closed the next day, the Rangers allowed is key to best practice conservation.
the voyage by HMS Endeavour in 1770,
three Growing Friends in to survey the In December’s talk entitled 'Keeping
or alternatively any Banksia species.
damage and to repot plants whose pots track of the kids: lineage matters!', Dr
The exhibition will coincide with the
had been shattered. Approximately 100 Rosemary Purdie (Honorary Living
opening of the new Banksia Garden.
plants were lost directly and another Collections Botanist, ANBG) discussed
We are delighted to include a beauti-
300 were repotted in the hope that collecting requirements for propaga-
ful exhibition bookmark with the April
they could be saved. Of the latter, we tion material, and how the ANBG’s
Fronds and we ask all Friends to encour-
have already lost some which did not Integrated Botanical Information
age others to visit. As usual Friends
survive repotting and some are still System helps keep track of each plant
are invited to an exclusive preview on
looking poorly, but with tender loving and its lineage.
Friday 17 April beginning at 2 pm
care and favorable weather we may be Conventions for naming plant species
when works are available for sale.
able to nurse most back to health. It have evolved to underpin western sci-
is estimated that, in the end, we will ence and do not reflect Indigenous views
have about 200-300 fewer plants for of the world around them. However,
our autumn sale. Temporary repairs Indigenous ecological knowledge repre-
have been made to the Growing Friends sents a wealth of experience that could
igloo. Likewise, the shadehouse area, contribute to land management. In her
which was more badly affected than the February talk, “Linking Indigenous
igloo, has been temporarily patched. botanical knowledge and western plant
More long-term repairs will be made as species concept”, Dr Linda Broadhurst
part of the already planned refurbish- (Director CANBR) discussed the chal-
ment of the area. lenges in reconciling and deriving the
Looking beyond the events of the last benefits of both bodies of knowledge.
few months, what to propagate is an The Plant Science Group meets on the
ongoing matter for Growing Friends first Monday of the month. For further
members to consider. Whilst a wide information, contact:
variety of plants are chosen, plants plantscience@friendsanbg.org.au
Epacris longiflora; Jann Ollerenshaw
which are suitable for the typical John Busby
16 April 2020 Fronds 94This year we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Friends. A key part of the partnership between the
Gardens and the Friends are our special interest groups which are the subjects of Friendly Chatter.
These groups support the Gardens in various ways and provide an avenue for members of the public
to experience the Gardens in ways of specific interest. Is this your year to join one of our groups?
Photographic Group Walks were cancelled on days with haz- and exciting ways. Guided walks start
The Photographic Group aims to sup- ardous smoke levels. from the Visitor Centre at 11 am and
port photographers in capturing and As far as possible, however, guided walks 2 pm.
understanding the beauty of nature, proceeded, with Guides taking the From 1 April, Flora Explorer tours
and updating skills by monthly lectures, opportunity to showcase lower areas of depart at 11.30 (previously 10.30) and
photography walks or outings. Our gardens and carpark plantings. It was 1.30 on weekends and public holidays.
members are also involved in photo- the right time to focus on how remark- Lesley King
graphing events at the Gardens. able Australian plants survive in tough
In November 2019 we held our annual conditions, how green shoots bring
exhibition Treasures. This was a renewal and restore hope, and the value
fundraising event for the Friends with of the Gardens in nurturing some of the
total sales reaching $5,737, of which threatened species, including some from
$1730.20 was contributed to Friends to south coast forests that would have been
support developments in the Gardens. affected by the summer fires, such as the
Hibbertia circinata from Mt Imlay.
To commemorate the Gardens and
Friends anniversaries in 2020, and Now it’s autumn, guided tours are in
250 years since Joseph Banks visited full swing. In this anniversary year
Australia, the Photographic Group is Guides are offering a more diverse
organising a photographic competi- range of guided experiences. We have
tion as part of its Annual Exhibition, done some research on our visitors,
Reflections, in November. This seasonal variations, published articles Lesley King
Competition is open to all Friends of and arrangements in other botanical
the ANBG and details are included in gardens; and have used this informa-
this issue of Fronds (p24). tion to add extra colour and variety to
A glimpse of winter colour
our walks. Some of the guided walks
Membership is open to all Friends. You Colour in Winter walks
will now feature key themes, related to Saturday 1 August to Sunday 9 August
will find us under ‘Get Involved’ on historic dates, celebratory occasions and (See What's On for details)
the Friends website or you can email current issues.
us at photo@friendsanbg.org.au . Our
meetings are generally held on the last Clever ways that plants (especially
Friday of the month in the Theatrette Eucalypts) recover from fire and other
opposite the Visitor Centre at 10.30 am damage will feature in walks from 30
until 12 midday. Details of each month’s March for one week. From Saturday 1
events are in the Calendar sections of to Sunday 9 August, when the days may
the Friends website or communicated by seem dreary, you can join a Colour in
email in our monthly PG newsletter. Winter walk. But no need to wait until
then: from 24 April to 3 May, there
Helen Dawes are Wow Banksia walks, as part of the
Volunteer Guides Banksia festival where you can enjoy,
Weather was the big issue of summer, and hear about, amazing banksias from
for Guides and all of ANBG. High all around Australia and why we think
temperatures, lack of rain, followed by banksias really do have a ‘wow’ factor.
wind and hail created challenging and You may also spot guides roving in the
damaging conditions for plants; and the new Banksia Garden, ready to explain
heat, smoke and hail proved challeng- how this garden was developed and why
ing for Guides and visitors. Flora tours it is so special.
were suspended for three weeks, due to Check the Friends and ANBG websites,
damage to the new vehicle and closure as well as the Visitor Centre, for up-
of the hail-damaged upper gardens. to-date information about the various
options for seeing the Gardens in new
Fronds 94 April 2020 17You can also read
