Grant Burrell

Grant Burrell has cared for its plants for over 30 years. His work focuses on native Australian plants, with an emphasis on Mallee Eucalypts, heath species, and orchids (terrestrial orchids being a current favourite).

His appreciation for these plants developed from his time growing up in the Lower Blue Mountains and exploring the bush. His deep understanding of them allows him to carefully manage and maintain their ecosystems in the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. 

Grant completed his Level 3 Certification in Horticulture at TAFE NSW, followed by Arboriculture in 1993. He began his career at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney as a Horticulturalist Labourer in 1990 and as his knowledge and expertise grew, he progressed to become a Senior Horticulturalist in 1995. 

He is committed to plant conservation and plays an integral role in preserving the native plants in the Garden to protect them from the threat of extinction. Grant also supervises several projects, including the Spring Paper Daisy and Summer Annual displays, the curation of the Connections Garden and the landscaping around the National Herbarium of New South Wales. Typically, half his working day is spent out in one of the Garden areas and he has witnessed some spectacular sunrises over the years. 

Beyond his time at work, Grant enjoys bushwalking, cycling and exploring remote areas – he has fond memories of sitting in the middle of acres of Pink Flannel Flowers at Narrow Neck in Katoomba. 

His vision for the future of the Botanic Gardens of Sydney is for it to remain relevant, with the sourced wild collection of plant species becoming increasingly important.