The Australian Native Rockery was extensively renovated and replanted for the Sydney Olympics in 2000 – it's a great place to see and learn about Australia’s native plants.
The garden includes towering Gymea lilies (Doryanthes excelsa), Red Flowering Gum trees, Grass Trees, nectar filled Grevilleas and seasonal displays of Australian wildflowers. Birds love these nectar rich plants and are regular visitors to the Banksias in the Rockery.
Banksias were named after Sir Joseph Banks, who first collected these and many other plants on the east coast of Australia during his voyage on the Endeavour in 1770. When he returned to England, the plants and animals he described caused a sensation. We still have some of the dried and pressed specimens collected by Banks amongst the 1.4 million specimens in our National Herbarium of New South Wales.
Be dazzled by a uniquely Australian flower garden
The Rockery features just a small fraction of the more than 24,000 known species of Australian native plants, many of which occur nowhere else on earth. Our plant breeders have successfully created some striking new varieties, which are also on display here. If you’d like to find out more about Australian native plants, visit the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan.
We also welcome you to visit the Herbarium to see a selection of our historic collections of pressed plants and rare books in the Daniel Solander Library or Red Box Gallery.
