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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-10-25 Daily Xml
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ADELAIDE BOTANIC GARDEN

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (12:21): I move:

That this house congratulates the Adelaide Botanic Garden on its outstanding contribution to South Australia over the past 150 years.

The Adelaide Botanic Garden, we could talk about it being a jewel, but I think it is more than one jewel, I think it is several, because, as we know, Botanic Garden is not just that lovely property on North Terrace or Botanic Park but it is also Wittunga, at Blackwood, and the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.

The Adelaide Botanic Garden has a very colourful and fantastic history, which is beautifully portrayed in a book that was released by the Botanic Garden Board this year, written by Richard Aitken, called Seeds of Change, and I would urge any member who loves books and wants a gift to give to a VIP guest, or whatever, to get hold of a copy or some copies of that book. It is a wonderful account of the history of the Botanic Garden.

As we know, South Australia was proclaimed in December 1836, and in 1837 Colonel William Light in his plan of Adelaide showed an area set aside for a botanic garden. So, a very enlightened gentleman. However, it was not until 1854, after a public appeal to the Governor, that the Agricultural and Horticultural Society recommended the establishment of a 16 hectare (that is 41 acres) botanic garden on the present site, and in April 1855 George Francis was appointed superintendent, and the garden was opened to the public on 4 October 1857. So just over 150 years ago this very month. It has been suggested that George Francis, in setting out the Botanic Garden, was influenced by what had happened at Kew in England, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, and Versailles in France, together with influences from German and Dutch experts. So, today it is not surprising that the Adelaide Botanic Garden has a northern European style, which is reflected to a large extent in the buildings which are on that site.

George Francis was succeeded by quite a famous person, Dr Richard Schomburgk, and he held that position from 1865 to 1891 and he created a lot of fantastic things in the Botanic Garden itself and in the Botanic Park, and these include the avenue of Moreton Bay figs, which were planted in 1866, and he also had planted—not my favourite tree—the Plane Tree Ring in 1883. I think it should have been left at that, but the Adelaide City Council has become somewhat obsessed with plane trees, despite their allergenic characteristics.

Botanic Park—the large area to the north of Botanic Garden—is a very popular picnic and family gathering spot, which was acquired in 1866 and which includes the drive which features the plane trees. Many members may not know that the Salvation Army held its first Australasian meeting in 1880 in that area; so the Salvos started in Australasia in Botanic Park, the area north of the Botanic Garden. It is an important area, apart from its botanical significance.

In 1868 Victoria House was constructed, especially for the waterlily Victoria amazonica, which first flowered in cultivation in England in 1849 and later in 1868 in Victoria House. It produced leaves up to two metres in diameter for a large throng of fascinated visitors. The newspapers of the day used to give a daily progress report on the flowering of Victoria amazonica. It is a bit like people's interest in football stars today, I guess.

A significant glasshouse, known as the Palm House, was constructed at the same time and opened to the public in 1877. It was restored in 1994-95. In 1881 the Museum of Economic Botany was opened to the public. It is a fascinating title but, if one thinks think about it, it is a meaningful title. During Dr Schomburgk's time as superintendent—I think he went under the title of director or curator—the Botanic Garden provided recreational and educational functions and services to farmers.

Economic crops, such as wheat, oats and sorghum were introduced, and fruits and vines were tested and, if considered suitable, were distributed to growers. Trees were also propagated and distributed by the Botanic Garden for specific plantings in and around Adelaide. I think the farming community can thank the Botanic Garden for its earlier work under the guidance of Dr Schomburgk.

Today the garden specialises in scientific and educational displays of ornamental plants, both exotic and native. Collections range from palms and endangered cycads through to culinary and medicinal herbs. The popularity of the Botanic Garden is reflected in the fact that over 1.3 million people, including 25,000 students, visit the garden each year to learn about the world of plants.

The Botanic Garden is a historic garden on the Adelaide Plains with a dry Mediterranean climate and alkaline soil. Native and exotic plant collections, including palms, cycads, bromeliads and many spectacular mature trees and shrubs, are displayed. Rainforest species are grown in the temperate Australian forest and the Bicentennial Conservatory for tropical plants, and unique arid Madagascan plants are grown in the Palm House. I mentioned that the Museum of Economic Botany was opened in 1881. It is now listed as a place of significance in the national estate, and so it should be.

During the Gardens 150 program (that is, celebrating its 150 years), a new raised terrace, known as the Schomburgk Pavilion, has been built to the rear of the Museum of Economic Botany offering a variety of visitor services and reinvigorating the area as a cultural heart of the garden. The Botanic Garden also has what is called the SA Water Mediterranean Garden, which showcases plants from mediterranean climates around the world, including south-western Australia, South Africa, central Chile, California and the Mediterranean Basin. The idea, obviously, is to demonstrate plants which thrive in a climate similar to South Australia's mediterranean climate.

The glasshouse or Palm House was imported from Germany in 1875 and features a display of Madagascan arid flora. It was designed by a German architect using what was very sophisticated engineering techniques at the time. It has now basically been restored to its full glory. As part of that process, which involved a lot of careful work, it was completely dismantled and then re-assembled. The Palm House, as I said, contains plants from Madagascar, which was once part of the super continent of Gondwana, about 150 million years ago, just shortly before the member for Stuart entered this parliament and a little before I entered it!

What it shows is the evolutionary links between some of the plants which were a part of, I guess, Gondwana and therefore links with plants of the continent of Australia. The unique arid flora of south-west Madagascar receives much of its water as mist or dew, and the garden has a special facility to ensure that the plants can be watered in the way they have adapted, which is through mist. The Palm House is just another example of an outstanding heritage building in the Botanic Garden and can be enjoyed both now and in the future.

As I mentioned earlier, the Botanic Garden acquired Botanic Park to the north back in the 1800s. I mentioned previously that the Salvation Army started there, but also from the 1890s it had a speakers' corner, where would-be politicians and politicians were able to speak on any topic—something that has gone out of fashion now, but I can imagine some of the members in here being keen to resurrect that activity, and I invite them to do so.

I would like to acknowledge also a wonderful publication supported by the board of the Botanic Garden. I urge members to get hold of a copy before they all go. It is a book on the Sturt Desert pea by David Symon (who is one of the elder statesmen of botany in this state) and Manfred Jusaitis. This wonderful book, which is all about aspects of the Sturt Desert pea quotes Charles Sturt in 1844 when he said:

We saw that beautiful flower in splendid blossom on the plains.

If members want to be impressed or want to impress their friends I suggest they get a copy of that book from the Botanic Garden. I mentioned earlier the other wonderful book, Seeds of Change, by Richard Aitken, which highlights the fantastic contribution of the directors of the Botanic Garden over many years. We are indebted to those farsighted directors and lessees: Thomas Allen; John Bailey; John Frederick Bailey; Forbes (George), Greaves (Harold); Haines, Holtze, Johnston; Lothian, which is a famous name, Morley, another well-known name; Schomburgk (Richard); and Stevenson.

The directors of the Botanic Garden have been very farsighted, and I obviously cannot canvass what each of them did in the time I have, but people such as Noel Lothian were involved in tree planting excursions, encouraging revegetation in the Mid North. They were also involved in the purchase of what is now Wittunga, which was owned by the Ashby family and highlights South African and Australian plants, and also the purchase of the Mount Lofty land which became part of the botanic gardens.

So, we are greatly indebted to all and each of those directors for their farsighted focus on the role of the Botanic Garden. It is an area which has given a lot of pleasure to South Australians, and will continue to do so, but, importantly, it has fulfilled a very vital economic function in helping to establish agriculture and horticulture in the early days. What they do in terms of plant taxonomy and the study of botany generally is of incredible value from a scientific viewpoint. So, it is not just a pretty place: it is a scientific place—or places, because they have more than one property—and it is a credit not only to the directors of the Botanic Garden but also all the people who have worked there over the years such as gardeners and head gardeners, and so on.

I think it is appropriate that we celebrate not just its 150th but also its presence, which goes back further than 150 years to the very early days when it was established. The current director I believe is following in that wonderful tradition of the previous directors, that is, Stephen Forbes, and I am sure that under his direction the Botanic Garden will continue to prosper and not only give pleasure to South Australians but also fulfil its important scientific role as a centre of excellence in regard to the study of botany.

So, I commend this motion to the house and urge members to take a bit of time out from this place and walk down North Terrace and enjoy the Botanic Garden, but also visit Wittunga and Mount Lofty as well, as part of the wonderful organisation that is represented through the Adelaide Botanic Garden. I commend the motion to the house.

Ms PORTOLESI (Hartley) (12:38): On behalf of the government I rise to support the member for Fisher's motion and thank him for highlighting the role and contribution of the wonderful Adelaide Botanic Garden and bringing it to the attention of this house. The Botanic Garden is where I was married in 2000. It was a gorgeous week all week and at 6 o'clock the heavens opened and it rained. It was shocking but it was gorgeous, and it is somewhere we always take our daughter. We know the ducks in the pond very well.

This year marks the third and final year of a three-year sesquicentenary celebration for the Adelaide Botanic Garden. By way of background, the gardens were founded in 1855 and opened in 1857. Consequently, in 2004, the government announced a major upgrade to the gardens with a $5 million contribution to an intended $10 million capital works program, which I was very excited about. The Gardens 150 Foundation was established to raise the other $5 million from public and corporate donations and sponsorships. I am pleased to report that this has now been achieved, with in excess of $5.3 million having been raised to date. I congratulate the board, the foundation and the director on this achievement, and I thank the community more particularly for its generous support.

Capital works undertaken to date have involved the creation of the Schomburgk Pavilion to the rear of the Museum of Economic Botany; the SA Water Mediterranean garden (which I love), created on the site of the former Italianate garden; the Amazon Waterlily Pavilion, created over the site of the former Victoria House; and relocation of the cacti and succulent collection at the back of the historic Palm House to form a new cactus garden. In addition, work is soon to commence on conservation and refurbishment works to the Museum of Economic Botany.

Running in parallel with the capital works program has been a range of community and cultural events and functions within the gardens to celebrate its 150th anniversary. These have included family days, music events, art exhibitions, lectures, horticultural activities, book launches, collections, expeditions in Kaurna and other cultural activities—none of which I have been able to attend because of work, but I am sure they were wonderful.

The concluding events for the official Gardens 150 program are occurring over October and November this year, in particular the celebration weekend of activities that occurred on 6 and 7 October. However, the initiatives and momentum of the Gardens 150 program will live on for many years, with increased public awareness and visitation to the gardens and a range of other capital projects currently under investigation, such as the new western entrance, a new medicinal garden, a stormwater harvesting wetland for First Creek and a possible expansion into the RAH site.

The garden has grown since 1857 and now includes the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, which I last visited with the member for Newland and his family—it was not just him and me—and the Wittunga Botanic Garden. It needs to be remembered that the gardens are more than just a pleasant, horticulturally inspired landscape to be enjoyed by the public. It is an important cultural and scientific institution, with roles in recreation, education, conservation, science and culture. That is saying something from me, someone with an Italian background where things are only grown for the purpose of eating them.

The gardens have contributed to South Australia both economically through early crop introductions and agricultural research and culturally through public art exhibitions and events programs. The gardens maintain strong programs in education through contact with 25,000 students and over a million visitors each year, while the science program now focuses on plant conservation work. Once all these projects are finished, it is envisaged that the gardens will have garden areas and plant collections to represent all the major shifts in the role of the Botanic Garden through the ages; namely, as medicinal and psychic gardens—I am a Cancer, let the record show—demonstrating the system of plant classification and economic gardens, and showcasing exotic and unusual plants in our plant conservation. I thank the member for Fisher for raising this important matter and I commend this motion to the house.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (12:43): I too am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion and do commend to everyone this wonderful book Seeds of Change which the member for Ashford and I have both looked through because of our great interest in not only the Botanic Garden but its important history within the industrial movement within the state.

Before I go into that, I put on record special thanks to the Friends of the Botanic Garden and the volunteer guides. I often visit the Botanic Garden on Sunday mornings, after I have been for a walk around the Torrens, or whatever. Very early in the day, the guides are waiting by the wonderfully newly refurbished gift shop, which has an excellent range of publications and Ladybird memorabilia and so forth. They love the Botanic Garden and take visitors around to show them all the wonderful things in the gardens. Of course, we will all remember that one of the Wollemi pines was found buried, but growing, in the garden. Along with many people, I have purchased my own prehistoric tree from a nursery, which I now nurture and which I noticed this morning has new bright green pods of growth on it, so I am very excited about it.

I draw members' attention to page 93 of the book which has a picture of the former police paddock and a huge gum tree. The picture dates back to 1874, and staff at the gift shop and the information desk are very kindly making inquiries for me to ascertain whether, in fact, this tree still exists or how long it lived. It is an enormous gum tree, and I think that if it was still there we would notice it. So, I am afraid it must no longer be there.

Another interesting connection to the museum is the fact that it appointed the first female board member, Edith Osborn, in 1915, which is a reminder of South Australia's progressiveness, for all its conservatism. Of course, we know that here in the house we have also benefited from the remarkable exploits of our pioneering women.

However, it is the connection with the struggle for the eight-hour day that I particularly want to bring to the attention of members. In the book (which is how I first learnt of this), there are pictures on page 107 of a group of very fine Australian men, who were apparently some of the earliest gardeners, who had unsuccessfully petitioned in May 1883, requesting an eight-hour day. This did not end their struggle, however, and the workers continued. Further into the book there is an example of the granting of the eight-hour day—a priority of Holtze's directorship—and approval by the gardens board in, I think, 1891. I would also like to thank the people from the South Australian archives who helped to prepare a copy of that to present to the AWU, which would have been associated with those workers. It is a wonderful book and a wonderful garden, and I commend both to all South Australians and every visitor to this state.

Motion carried.

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