Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve, Kareela facts for kids
The Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve is a special garden in Sydney, Australia. It's one of the only places that focuses completely on plants that grow naturally in Australia. This beautiful garden is located in Kareela, a suburb in the Sutherland Shire. It was created in 1970 to honor Joseph Banks, a famous explorer and scientist. The reserve covers about 2.2 hectares (that's like 5 football fields!) and has 4 kilometers of paved paths for you to explore.
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Where to Find the Reserve
The Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve is located at Manooka Place, Kareela, in the Sutherland Shire, New South Wales, Australia. There's also another entrance for people walking, which is on Bates Drive, also in Kareela.
A Look Back: The Reserve's History
This special garden was started in 1970. It was part of a big celebration marking 200 years since Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay in April 1770. The reserve is named after Joseph Banks (who lived from 1743 to 1820). He was a naturalist, which means he studied nature, especially plants and animals. Banks traveled with Captain Cook and collected many different plant samples around Botany Bay. He even found new types of plants, including the ones that are now called Banksias!
Amazing Australian Plants
The reserve is like a living museum for Australian native plants. You can see many different kinds of plants from all over Australia. They are planted in special areas called "theme gardens." Some of these gardens include:
- An acacia garden, full of wattle trees.
- A garden for plants that love the sun.
- A rainforest area with lush, green plants.
- A silver foliage garden, with plants that have silvery leaves.
- A "bush tucker" garden, showing plants that Aboriginal people traditionally used for food.
- A shady garden for plants that prefer less sun.
- A fern garden.
- A lily garden.
The reserve also has a natural area that hasn't been planted. This part shows what the original Sydney sandstone vegetation looked like. More than 600 plants in the reserve have labels with their scientific names, so you can learn what they are! You can find a full list of plants here.
The reserve is home to many types of Banksias that grow along Australia's east coast. These include Banksia aemula, Banksia ericifolia, Banksia integrifolia, Banksia marginata, Banksia oblongifolia, Banksia paludosa, Banksia plagiocarpa, Banksia robur, Banksia serrata, and Banksia spinulosa. You can also find some Banksia species from Western Australia, like Banksia blechnifolia and Banksia repens.
How the Reserve is Cared For
The Sutherland Shire Council looks after the Joseph Banks Native Plants Reserve. There are staff members working at the reserve from Monday to Friday. Volunteers also help out a lot! These volunteers are part of the Australian Plants Society, Sutherland Group.
Volunteers meet twice a month to help keep the garden beautiful:
- On the first Thursday of each month, from 9 am to 12 noon, they work with the Sutherland Council Bushcare team.
- On the first Sunday of each month, from 9:30 am to 12 noon, they work with the Australian Plants Society.
If you're interested, volunteers are always welcome to help with weeding, pruning plants, and planting new ones!
Visiting the Reserve
The reserve is open every day of the week, from 9 am to 5 pm. It is closed only on Good Friday and Christmas Day. The best part is, entry is completely free!
When you visit, you'll find:
- Paved paths, which are great for walking.
- Toilets.
- Picnic tables, perfect for a packed lunch.
- Wood-fired BBQs if you want to cook.
Some of the paths are also easy to use for people with wheelchairs or other mobility needs.
