George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens |
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Entrance into George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens
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| Type | Botanical |
| Location | The Gardens, Darwin, Northern Territory |
| Owned by | Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory |
| Operated by | Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory |
The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens is a wonderful botanical garden located just 2 kilometers north of the city center of Darwin, in the Northern Territory, Australia. It's a special place where you can explore many different kinds of plants, especially those that love tropical weather.
Contents
History of the Gardens
The gardens first opened in 1886 at their current spot. Before this, people in Darwin tried twice to create a garden like this. Their main goal was to test which important plants, like those used for food or materials, would grow well in the hot, wet climate of the tropics.
At first, the gardens focused on growing plants that could be useful for the economy. They also grew beautiful ornamental plants. However, a huge natural disaster changed everything. In 1974, Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin very hard. The gardens were badly damaged, and an amazing 89% of all the plants were lost.
George Brown's Contribution
After the cyclone, a dedicated person named George Brown led the effort to restore the gardens. He had been working there since 1969 and became the curator in 1971. A curator is like a manager who takes care of a collection, in this case, the plants.
George Brown worked tirelessly on the gardens until 1990. He later became the Lord Mayor of Darwin, which is like the city's main leader, from 1992 to 2002. To honor his amazing work and 32 years of service, the gardens were officially renamed the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens in 2002.
Historic Church Building
In the year 2000, a very old church building was moved to the gardens. This historic former Wesleyan Methodist church was carefully taken apart from its original location on Knuckey Street and rebuilt inside the gardens. It is now the oldest building still standing in Darwin. Today, this old church building is home to Eva's Botanical Gardens Cafe, a lovely spot to relax.
Plant Collections
The gardens are home to an important collection of plants that grow naturally in the monsoon climate of Northern Australia. This includes plants found in areas like mangroves, dense monsoon vine thickets, wet forests from the Tiwi Islands, and even plants from the Arnhem Land escarpment.
You can also find a wide variety of other tropical plants here. The gardens have many different kinds of cycads, which are ancient palm-like plants. There are also lots of palms, unique Adansonia trees, and colorful gingers and heliconias. It's a great place to learn about plants from all over the tropical world.
Access and Getting Around
The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens can be entered from several different spots. The main entrance, which also has visitor parking, is located on Gardens Road. Another entrance with parking is at the end of Geranium Street, which you can reach from Stuart Highway. If you are walking or cycling, you can also enter from Gilruth Avenue.
You can also get to the gardens using public transport. Bus number 10 stops near the Geranium Street entrance, and bus number 4 has a stop close to the Gardens Road entrance.
See also
In Spanish: Jardín botánico George Brown de Darwin para niños
