Geelong Botanic Gardens

Geelong Botanic Gardens, voted the Garden of the Year in 2018, is a beautiful botanical garden located in Geelong, Eastern Park, Victoria, Australia.

Established in 1850, it is the fourth oldest botanic garden in Australia and covers 17 acres of land. The gardens originated as a public space in 1850 and were later designated as the botanic gardens in the center of the park. The land has a rich Indigenous history and was under the care of the Wathaurong people, the traditional owners of the land.

Curated by expert gardeners, the Geelong Botanic Gardens contain a wide variety of plant life that thrives in the unique climate of the region. The gardens feature an arboretum landscape with carriage drives, the Aviary, Monkey House, and the Fish Hatchery. They also include significant trees listed under the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Register of Significant Trees, as well as Geelong's original heritage buildings.

The gardens have a rich history of development. The first appointed curator, Daniel Bunce, developed the gardens to include a conservatory, glasshouse, aviary, and a lake. John Raddenberry, the next curator, added a thatched summerhouse, rotundas, and the iconic timber fernery. To ensure the plant life thrives, the gardens have a large irrigation system capable of adjusting to the climate and outputting up to 28 megaliters of water annually. This is especially important during the unpredictable summer months.

In the 21st century, the gardens underwent a renovation that included a section for arid-climate and local native plants. The gardens