Horticulture and history

There is much more to the Gardens than just flowers and stunning horticultural displays. 

A view of Garden Palace from across Farm Cove, circa 1880
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Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Travel back more than 200 years to the very beginning of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
History
Botanical Garden 1900s pic
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Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
The 1900s was revolutionary, not just for the Gardens but internationally. Sydney was a city of promise.
History
Wollemi pine agathis jurassica
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Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Citizen science, education and conservation messaging became a key priority for the Gardens.
History
The site of the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
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Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
Home to 4,000 native plant species and a botanical science hub.
History
cut-flower nursery under the Brunets
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Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah
Learn more about The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah's history.
History
Pencil drawing of a flowering plant some of the image is coloured with gouache
Learn about the work of the Gardens' two scientific illustrators, who illustrate plants described by botanists.
Detail from a Joseph Lycett painting of First Nations peoples sitting around a camp fire at night
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Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
The traditional custodians of the land on which the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney stands are the Gadigal.
History
Australia's national flower the Golden Wattle (Acacia) with a cloudy blue sky background
Throughout August and September, gardens across Australia turn to a sea of golden hues with Australia’s national flower.
First Nations
Charred black beans
Genetic studies of the black bean have discovered that humans are behind its unexpected distribution in New South Wales.
Path though the Garden
The concept of a botanic garden has evolved over time, with a modern focus on plant conservation.