chris russell - royal botanic gardens victoria · 2013-10-03 · presented by the director, chris...

V O L U M E 2 0 — N U M B E R 2 — W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS CRANBOURNE, INC.

Take me to your leader …Our new Director and Chief Executive, Professor Tim Entwisle, commenced in early March, having returned to Australia from his role as Director of Conservation, Living Collections and Estates at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (UK). Tim is exceptionally credentialed for the job, having been Executive Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust in Sydney from 2003 to 2011, and many years ago, Manager of Plant Sciences at RBG Melbourne. His particular scientific fascination is freshwater algae, and he has described numerous new species (and even a couple of genera!) following studies at Melbourne and La Trobe universities. Many of you will know, or know of, Tim through his active contributions to the media (including recently in print, radio and social media in response to taking up his new role at RBG Melbourne). I encourage you to go online and find out more about him through his regular blog and tweets. Even if you are not a regular user of social media, it’s really not that hard (I’ve now found!)—just key Tim Entwisle into your search engine and then keep clicking on things that interest you.

Depot upgradeConstruction of the new staff building has commenced, with contractors Behmer and Wright completing the underground services and preparing for the concrete slab. We have worked hard with architects Woodhead to have a building that is energy efficient, makes the most of natural light and air flow, is sympathetic to the surrounding environment, uses efficient building systems and is a good place to work in. The design strikes a good balance of all of these elements within the available budget. We plan to move into the new building by the end of spring this year.

Director’s Report

Chris Russell

Friends of the Royal BotanicGardens Cranbourne, Inc.1000 Ballarto RoadCranbourne Victoria 3977Inc no. A0025281B

Web address:http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg-cranbourne/friends-cranbourne

Highlights

in this issue

Fascinating fungi 8

That Press Gang ... ? 10

Waterways & platypus 13

Bellarine Peninsula tour 15The Garden Explorer provides a hop-on, hop-off experience

around the Australian Garden every day, see ‘It’s easier to get around the Gardens’ on next page

Jill Burness supervises the installation of Secrets of Lightness, see ‘Art in the landscape’ on next page Photo: Chris Russell

Concurrent with the main building works there has been plenty happening with the development of the Growing Friends new home. We are very pleased to now have the planning permit for the Growing Friends propagation shed, giving the green light for construction to commence. The bulk of the shedding works should be completed during May, followed by nursery bench and irrigation installation and associated works.

At the Friends Committee meeting in April, I presented the proposal for the main Friends hub being created within part of

2 V O L U M E 2 0 — N U M B E R 2 — W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

the existing administration building and the establishment of a herbarium facility within the adjacent portable building (currently occupied by Public Programs staff). The latter, with some renovation and refurbishment, will provide much more suitable environmental conditions for the storage of the herbarium collection being undertaken by the Friends Press Gang. This project is really of massive scope, and is of great importance to the Gardens—to collect and create herbarium voucher specimens of all plants indigenous to the RBG Cranbourne site, with one set being lodged as part of the State Botanical Collection at the National Herbarium in Melbourne, and a second set kept here at Cranbourne for reference purposes. Temperature, humidity and insect control are critical to avoid damage to the material, so it will be great to have a more suitable storage facility. The building will also provide some basic laboratory facilities that will be used by the Press Gang and staff. Development of the Friends hub and the herbarium/lab will commence following our move into the new building in spring. I commend the Friends for their patience as we worked through various design iterations in response to a somewhat dynamic planning environment. The response from committee members on the outcomes I have outlined here has been very positive.

Art in the landscapeThere are two new significant artistic elements in the Australian Garden. On Friday 3 May a sculpture called Secrets of Lightness was unveiled in the Box Garden of the Eucalypt Walk. The sculpture, a collaboration between Janet Laurence, Kate Cullity and David Lancashire, commemorates Kevin Taylor’s contribution to the genesis and fruition of the Australian Garden. Kevin, who was tragically killed in a road accident in Darwin in 2011, was a central figure in the creation of the Australian Garden design and masterplan, commencing in 1994 with what was then Taylor and Cullity (later to become Taylor Cullity Lethlean). The glass sculpture features etchings of Kevin’s handwriting, describing thoughts and reflections on our relationship with Australian landscape—a beautiful and poignant insight into the inner thoughts of a wonderful human being and into the inspiration behind the design of the Australian Garden itself.

Over winter you will also notice the installation of decorative corten (weathering) steel screens within the Northern Display Gardens. The screens are significant in stature, being seven metres long and standing a couple of metres above path level, and have been designed to reflect the themes within each of the display gardens. Vibrant patterns and images and the name of the adjacent display garden is laser cut into the rusted

steel panels, providing a strong artistic and educational aspect to the visitor experience and interpretation of each of the garden spaces. The screens are part of the original landscape design for the precinct and we are very grateful to the Maud Gibson Trust for their contribution to this project.

Bandicoot projectWe are pleased to have received further funding through DSE (now DEPI after departmental amalgamations) for the continuation of the Southern Brown Bandicoot (SBB) Recovery Project. This funding will allow us to continue monitoring SBB populations within and around the gardens and to build on the predator (mainly fox) control works conducted over the past few years.

It’s easier to get around the GardensOur new people mover, the Garden Explorer, commenced operation in February and is a wonderful addition to the visitor experience. Feedback has been very positive, and for many visitors it has opened up new opportunities to get around the entire Australian Garden, which may simply not have been possible previously. Our new drivers, Jenny Raven, David Turnbull, Katie Newton and Chris Gilmore, provide a description of the main features of the Garden along the way. Prices are $5 for adults and $4 concession, providing an all-day ticket and the ability to hop on and hop off at one of the six stopping points within the Australian Garden.

Staff changesIn other staffing news we farewell Horticultural Technicians Jesse Dawkins and Adam Pimlott—both Jesse and Adam played important roles through the creation of the second stage of the Australian Garden, with Jesse managing the planting process for more than half of the project duration. We welcome Kayley Green and Russell Larke into the horticulture branch as the team makes the transition from landscape creation to landscape management and curation.

Well-stocked benches at the highly successful Friends Autumn Plant Sale

3V O L U M E 2 0 — N U M B E R 2 — W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

Very exciting news! Building of the new administration centre has commenced on the old site of the Friends Nursery and adjacent areas, which is anticipated to be completed by years end. The relocation of the staff into the new centre will release space in the existing administration building, part of which will be converted into a large new home for the Friends. In addition the reorganisation will free up space in the Public Programs department for a new Herbarium and a Laboratory for the Friends. A new Friends Nursery is being established on the opposite side of the road, and work on the construction of the nursery office and shed will be underway as this issue goes to press. Aside from the new administration headquarters, major benefits accruing to the Gardens will include the separation of the administration and operational functions, with consequential improvements in safety and traffic flows.

The close cooperation with management that the Friends continue to enjoy plus what must have been hundreds of hours of background thinking and planning has resulted in a comprehensive concept plan. This plan was presented by the Director, Chris Russell, to the Friends committee meeting on 11 April where it was unanimously endorsed. There is still much detailed planning to be carried out before the end of the year on

the reorganisation of the existing site and buildings. The Friends have been steadily building up funds over a number of years, which will now be applied to fund these changes, but at this stage it is too early to advise what the cost will be.

The activities program has got off to an excellent start this year with successful discovery days on water harvesting and use in the Gardens; a workshop on Gondwana; a quilting exhibition; and a workshop on planning and planting your garden for fire, for which reports are given elsewhere in this issue. A very successful plant sale also took place in March. Our inaugural annual luncheon in May, where we had a chance to welcome Professor Tim Entwisle, the new RBG Chief Executive, was also a great success (see report elsewhere in this newsletter).

As you read about our past and future activities in this issue, you will appreciate that there is much happening. I would invite you to participate in these events where you will meet new people and learn lots! I would particularly ask you to put Sunday 4 August in your diaries when we will be having a planning day for 2014. Your thoughts and ideas on the future of your organisation will be most welcome. Meanwhile I look forward to meeting you at our future activities.

From the President

Richard Clarke

Membership update

Helen Morrow

Growing Friends Winter Plant Sale

It’s time to renew your membership of the Friends—the 2013/14 subscription is due on 1 July.

A renewal form is enclosed in this newsletter—if it is a household membership please include the names of all members. To help us to keep our records up to date, please fill in your email address and postal address if they have changed. If you use Electronic Transfer please include your name on the transaction record so that our hard-working treasurer will know who has deposited the money!

A new membership card will be sent to each member when the subscription is received. New members who joined after 1 April 2013 are financial until June 2014.

How would you prefer to receive the newsletter?

On the renewal form you will notice a new

section asking you to indicate how you would prefer to receive the newsletter.

Welcome to new membersThirty-four new members have joined us this quarter:

Anne Adams, Vivienne Anderson, Annie Cox, Ann & Alan Fawcett, Helen Henderson, Ralph Henger, Lynette Hosking, Val & John Kent, Zita Krijt, Mary Macdermid, Di Marshall, Pamela Marshall, Lyn Mitchard, Mary & John Mathias, David, Judy & Adam Redfern, Pam Spencer, Bernadette Swanson, Debra, Warwick, Laura & Tristan Tong, Yvette Wilkinson, Jan Williams, Jane, Lee, Daniel, Zak & Joseph Wilson, Anne Wootton.

We look forward to meeting you at some of our activities.

FRBGC Members and StaffThursday 8 August

10.00am–2.00pm

Please come only if you can’t come on the weekend

General Public SaleSaturday & Sunday 10 & 11 August

10.00am–4.00pm

Discount of 15% for Members Cash or Cheque only


Here’s a look at the many different hats I’ve worn over the past decade at the RBGC. I’m a flexible sort of fella who’s been ‘in the right place at the right time’.

Following stints in landscaping and three years at Deakin University studying a Bachelor of Park Management, I acquired a role with the Gardens as a Weekend Ranger (way back in 2001). This entailed meeting and greeting visitors, taking guided walks, patting the odd wallaby and being called ‘Ranger Robo’ by friends.

Three years on, I had the opportunity to become a regular Monday-to-Friday member of the Land Management & Infrastructure (LMI) team as a ‘technician’. It was a fantastic blend of work and in any one week could range from removing sallow wattle, to baiting foxes, to repairing fences, to conducting prescribed burns, to installing wombat gates, to revegetating degraded sites!

After two years in the LMI team I became the co-ordinator of this diverse group of skilled staff who had also become good friends. As well as managing staff, the role involved managing contracts, contractors and budgets. I also had the chance to upskill in the prescribed burning area and became a ‘Lighting Boss’ on site; and before you say anything … no, none of ‘my burns’ jumped the containment lines!

After a few more years in the LMI team, I took a project manager position at the RBG

In the last issue of Naturelink we published a Vale to Dame Elisabeth who had recently died. We also published a photograph of her opening the original Friends Nursery, and unfortunately we neglected to identify the

man standing beside her. It is, as many of you will know, Don Jewell, the Inaugural President of the Friends RBGC. Our humble apologies to Don for this oversight.

Not only is it a shame from the point of view of accuracy that the caption did not identify the only other person in this historical photo with Dame Elisabeth, but we missed a great story.

Staff profile

James Robinson

Project Manager

Who is that man standing beside Dame Elisabeth?

Melbourne, managing a number of small infrastructure projects across the site. Off to the big smoke!

Then I was presented with another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—to be a project manager for the Australian Garden Stage 2 project. For the next three plus years I was involved with a small team dedicated to the management and implementation of the final stage of the Australian Garden landscape: a $20+ million project comprising four main components—extension of the existing Visitor Centre, construction of the new Woodland Picnic Area, completion of Stage 2 of the Australian Garden landscape and erection of a new office building.

Three down and one to go! What a truly marvellous voyage it’s been, with the premier experience being the completion of the Australian Garden project and its subsequent public opening in October 2012.

Currently I’m in the early stages of managing the construction of the new office building in the big open space where the Growing Friends Nursery once stood.

I certainly feel extremely privileged to have been here over the last ten years and to be honest, I could do another ten as that’s how agreeable it is to work for the RBG. But who knows what’s around the corner—we’ll just have to wait and see!

Now, about that new nursery space …

It was Don’s role on the day to introduce Dame Elisabeth and ask her to open the nursery. Having detailed her lengthy record of public service and her part in obtaining the land for a native botanic gardens, Don concluded by saying, ‘And best of all, Dame Elisabeth is a real dirt-under-the-fingernails gardener’. (At the time Dame Elisabeth was actively involved in the gardening at Cruden Farm.)

Looking to give Dame Elisabeth the scissors with which to cut the official ribbon, Don was most amused to find the Dame checking the cleanliness of her fingernails!

There must be lots of other good stories like this that would be great to hear. If you have any anecdotes about the early days of the Friends, please send them in to us.

We are grateful to Lyn Jewell for pointing out our error and recounting the wonderful story of Dame Elisabeth’s fingernails! She and Don also highlighted the need to capture the history of the Friends while the people who were involved in the early 1990s are still around.

—the editors


On Saturday 4 May in the Tarnuk Room of the RBGC a capacity crowd of 90 people enjoyed a delicious three-course meal. It was lovely to have both the immediate past Chief Executive, Dr Philip Moors, and the new Chief Executive, Professor Tim Entwisle, attend accompanied by their wives. Elaine Canty, Chairman of the Board, and Dr Graeme Worboys together with Chris Russell and his mother, Mrs Shirley Russell, completed our list of special guests. The program for the day was full as usual but hopefully members were able to catch up with friends and meet new members.

Small flowering plants from the Growing Friends in specially made boxes decorated the tables and were then taken home by the guests. Warren Worboy’s large flower arrangements enhanced the dining area and the foyer.

Professor Tim Entwisle briefly outlined his career path and a little of his vision for the

Annual Luncheon future. Master of Ceremonies Alex Smart presented Tim with a large new broom, much to the amusement of everyone present. It was also a fitting occasion for Margaret Clarke, the Immediate Past President, to present Dr Philip Moors with his Certificate of Honorary Life Membership of the Friends.

The guest speaker, Dr Graeme Worboys, was supported by his brother Warren and a family team who filled one whole table. Graeme is a protected area management specialist of international standing, being Vice Chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas. He spoke about the very detailed criteria and analysis required prior to areas being listed for and granted World Heritage status. He illustrated his talk with photographs of sites from South Africa, Italy and elsewhere.

As usual, a silent auction was held and we are indebted to those who contributed items for auction. The most dramatic items were three huge Lepidozamia peroffskyana (pineapple zamia). Other items included paintings, pottery, gift vouchers and books. In addition a raffle was held, generating useful additional funds.

Finally, thanks go to all those involved (particularly leader Bev Roberts) in preparing and executing such a delightful event, and thanks also go to the team from Blake’s Feast, who gave us great service and delicious food.

All-day workshop

Australian orchids

Sunday 15 September 9.00am–3.30pm

Australian Garden Auditorium, RBGC

$60 members $75 non-members

Australian orchids comprise about three per cent of Australia’s plant species. There are about 130 genera and approximately 1300 native species. Come along and participate in this marvellous opportunity to learn about this truly fascinating group of plants. We have received many requests for a day concentrating on all aspects of native orchids—so here it is!

Why have orchids developed a highly specialised pollinating mechanism? How do some species of orchid attract only one pollinator to their flowers? Why do some orchids occupy niches on other plants and rocks and live happily ever after, but do not rely on their hosts for nutrients? Others are perfectly happy living in soil, but die down after flowering only to reappear again in autumn. Can we cultivate our native orchids and if so, how?

At this stage, we have not finalised the presenters. We can, however, guarantee the usual excellent standard. There will be much more detail in the spring issue of Naturelink, which will be available from 1 September. But do not wait till then—book now to make sure that you get one of the 60 places.

Morning refreshments will be available from 9.00am. At 9.30am we will start the workshop sessions.

BYO lunch for a picnic in the Australian Garden or you can purchase lunch from the Boon Wurrung Café, but you’ll need to order before 9.30am and request that it be available for pickup at 1.00pm.

Pterostylis baptistiiSarcochilus fitzgeraldii

Friends viewing the silent auction items before placing bids

Prof. Tim Entwisle and his new broom


R E G U L A R M O N T H L Y A C T I V I T I E SThe Friends RBG Cranbourne run several regular monthly activities, which are described below. If you are interested in participating in any of these activities, even on an irregular basis, please ring or email the contact person, or just turn up. Don’t worry if you don’t have specific skills, you will learn on the job, and you will be made most welcome!

Botanical Fabricators

2nd Tuesday 10am

Maud Gibson Room

ContactGwen Elliot 9879 1427

We work with fabric crafts (hand sewing, machine sewing and embroidery) using materials or designs featuring and highlighting the beauty of Australian native plants.

We also host exhibitions and provide items for prizes and gifts for Friends activities.

Exhibition of Fabrics, Crafts and QuiltsThe 2013 Exhibition of Fabrics, Crafts and Quilts held in March in the Australian Garden Auditorium was very successful, thanks largely to the involvement of Leesa Chandler of Chandlers Cottage, Beaumaris. Thanks also to those who helped on the roster and to everyone who came along, often bringing friends, neighbours or other family members. There were approximately 2000 visitors, including many local residents, following good publicity in the Cranbourne Leader and Casey Weekly. Many had not visited the Australian Garden previously and said they will certainly be coming again. Admission was free of charge, but the Friends of RBG Cranbourne received just over $2000

from the sale of fabrics and items made by the Botanical Fabricators group.

Subsequent favourable promotion for the RBGC and the Australian Garden has also been received, including a colour photo and article in the Australian Quilters Association newsletter.

New projectsWe have recently been busy making covers for 50 cushions requested by the Education Staff at Cranbourne for school children to use when they need to sit on the floor for certain activities. All fabrics used depict Australian plants, birds or animals and the covers can be removed and washed as necessary.

We are already working on projects with a view to a further exhibition in March 2014, and new members are always very welcome to come and join us. No experience or expertise is necessary—there are tasks for all!

—Gwen ElliotQuilts and accessories at the recent Textiles and Fabrics Exhibition, see p.16 for more photos

Botanical Illustrators

1st and 3rd Wednesday

Maud Gibson Room

ContactMargaret Holloway 0438 985 382 <[email protected]

We are a small, friendly group of artists of varying experience, who meet to paint and draw together (without tuition). This allows us to share ideas, information and give each other encouragement and support. We hold exhibitions at various galleries.

Botanical art classesEdyta Hoxley continues to tutor the class with students working on a subject of their choice and creating some fantastic works. During term two a discussion is held on a variety of subjects, such as composition, at the beginning of each class. This helps develop an understanding of the whole process of creating a botanical illustration. The class size is small and it is a great atmosphere in which to learn botanical illustration. For information about the class, contact me (see details in the margin).

—Margaret Holloway

Carolyn Landon’s recent talk on Celia RosserOver a period of about 25 years at Monash University, Celia Rosser painted all the illustrations for The banksias, subsequently published in three volumes in full scale. Since the publication of The banksias, Celia has enjoyed international recognition as one of the world’s great botanical illustrators.

Carolyn Landon, author of Jacksons Track, gave us a fascinating insight the process of writing her biography of Celia, illustrating her presentation with quotes, photos and samples of Celia’s working drawings. She explained how she found that she needed to learn about the history of botanical art as well as developing an understanding of this art form in order to write about Celia and her work. Carolyn delineated the context into which Celia and her life’s work fit, how her career developed and the role of happenstance in it. We were impressed by the way in which she demonstrated Celia’s place in the pantheon of botanical artists and their contribution to scientific endeavour, from the Age of Enlightenment to the present day.

Carolyn’s generously informative and enjoyable talk engendered much discussion and interest. As many of us are familiar with Celia’s work as well as acquainted with the artist herself, this was a much-anticipated opportunity to gain greater insight into her life and contribution to both art and science. The publication of Carolyn’s biography is keenly anticipated.

—Margaret GodlewskiWatercolour painting by Margaret Holloway of Pandorea pandorana, wonga vine, which is in the Cranbourne Collection, see p.16 for more photos


Press Gang

1st Monday 10am to 3pm

Maud Gibson Room

Contact Nola Foster 9583 5731

Seed Collectors

Contact Richenda Harrison 9885 2744 0438 852 744 [email protected]

Growing Friends

Thursday and 3rd Wednesday

Growing Friends Nursery

ContactsMarjanne Rook 9769 7881 [email protected]

Don Dower 9736 2309 0401 611 173 [email protected]

We propagate a great variety of Australian native plants that have been sourced from the Gardens, and have great fun doing it. The plants are used for educational purposes as giveaways, and for raising funds for selected projects for the Gardens.

We have moved!The big move has finally happened and in the end it happened quite suddenly. On the last day of January, we moved out of our Nursery and into the Gardens Nursery. Labour, a truck and some heavy-duty equipment were provided by the Gardens. Those involved—Gardens staff and Growing Friends—all put in a hard day’s work. Space has been made available for us in the Garden’s propagation shed and nursery until our new site is ready. A new work shed has been ordered and is being fabricated right now—it will provide for all of our requirements plus a veranda to provide protection at the all-important morning tea and lunch breaks. Plans for other requirements such as irrigation, shade, a polyhouse and protection from possums are being considered with input from a number of interested parties.

Autumn plant saleA profitable plant sale was held on the aussie lawn and in sunny weather at the Ian Potter Lakeside Precinct in the Gardens. It was well attended, and customers appreciated the range of plants and the excellent assistance they received from ‘helpers’. We made a total of about $8500. Possibly a record.

Preparing for the plant sale required much work and many, many ‘thanks’ go to those Growing Friends and Committee Members who worked hard before, during and after the sale. Also a big ‘thank you’ to Gardens staff who in their different capacities organised and/or physically moved the benches and plants to the Gardens and back again.

We usually have a Special Members Day prior to the weekend sale, but as we are now

located in the Gardens Nursery this is not so practical and to minimise the numbers an email was sent to members requesting them to come on the Member’s Day only if they were unable to come on the weekend. This will also apply to the winter plant sale in August.

Casual assistance neededWe seem to have been rather busy lately and from time to time are unable to keep up with the work required—mainly the weeding of plants, but also other tasks such as sorting and labelling, especially prior to plant sales.

We could use a few more Growing Friends, but right now we can’t ask the Nursery Staff to accommodate more of us on a regular basis. Thus casual assistance with the various tasks mentioned above would be very helpful and should you be interested, please contact Marjanne Rook or Don Dower (contact details are on this page). We will keep a list and contact you when assistance is needed.

City of Casey giveaway plantsFor the past ten years the City of Casey has been holding a Plant Giveaway for residents as part of its Growing a Green Web program. Casey’s residents can collect two locally indigenous plants or Australian natives during Arbour Week, from some shopping centres in the City of Casey area. Once again, the Growing Friends are involved and are growing 2500 plants for mid-May 2013.

Special ordersAs always, should anyone have any special wishes, perhaps a plant you have seen in the Gardens you would like, or if you are just starting a large garden or property and wish to have multiple plants of a particular species then please contact either Don or me by email or phone with your request and we will endeavour to grow them or may even have them in stock.

—Marjanne Rook

We find, photograph and collect plant specimens at each stage of their development in the RBG Cranbourne, and ensure that relevant details—locations, appearance, the substrate they are found on, and habitat—are recorded. These specimens are then dried and mounted for herbarium collections at the RBGC, and the National Herbarium at the RBG Melbourne.

We gather and process seed for the RBGC seed stock. The seed collected is used by the Growing Friends Nursery and by the Gardens for regeneration of the bushland.

Our meetings are irregular, as the peak time for the group is November to March. Most of the 2–3 hour sessions are on Thursdays, and involve a range of activities: reconnaissance, collection and processing, and documentation.


Firstly a disclaimer: I am no expert, but I hope to encourage you to take a closer look at this diverse and fascinating life form that can be found in just about any habitat you can think of.

They range from microscopic single-celled organisms (such as yeast) to macrofungi with fruiting bodies that can be a metre or more across. But what you see growing above ground is just a small portion of the whole organism. The rest (the mycelium) consists of a network of thread-like hyphae that spread through the soil, linking the roots of trees, and building and binding soils.

Some interesting fungi facts:

• There may be up to 20,000km of fungal hyphae for every cubic metre of soil.

• Forget the blue whale, the largest known organism is a fungus—in 1998 forestry scientists discovered a giant Armillaria fungus occupying 965 hectares of soil in Oregon.

• Approximately 12,000 species of fungi (including about 3500 lichens) have been identified in Australia but there are many more as yet undiscovered and unnamed.

• Without the invisible activity of fungi (and some help from other decomposers), we would be drowning in waste organic matter.

• Most of the small and medium-sized Australian mammals, including bandicoots and wallabies, eat truffles (underground fungal fruit-bodies) and other fungi, and have an important role in spore dispersal.

• There is no reliable way to tell whether a fungus is edible or toxic. For every myth about edibility there is a toxic exception.

Fungi can be divided into groups according to how they obtain their nutrients. The largest group is the saprophytes, which grow on dead organic matter, producing enzymes that can break down cellulose and lignin.

Some form mutually beneficial relationships with other living organisms. The most common of these are mycorrhizal associations. The mycelium effectively extends the root system of the plant, giving it greater access to nutrients and water. Many plants have very specific relationships with soil fungi and will not perform as well if the fungi are absent from the soil. But there are other interesting relationships, for example between certain ant and fungal species. Lichens are a symbiosis between true fungi and algae or cyanobacteria.

There are also fungi that parasitise plants, animals and even other fungi. Some cause important diseases of plants such as phytophthora and myrtle rust. Some have developed ingenious ways of capturing their prey. The innocuous looking oyster mushroom can paralyse nematode worms

with a potent toxin. The hyphae then enter the worm through its mouth, eating it from the inside out! There is some fascinating footage on YouTube from Sir David Attenborough and the Planet Earth team of the Cordyceps species that parasitises insects and spiders (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o57imEfknMQ).

Potential applicationsPotential applications of fungi are being researched, including bioremediation (fungi can break down a number of toxic environmental contaminants), creating bio-fuels from cellulose, and using them as natural pesticides. There is an interesting TED talk by Paul Stamets entitled ‘6 ways mushrooms can save the world’ (http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html).

IdentificationThere is no comprehensive set of identification keys for fungi, especially Australian ones. The appearance of fungi may vary with age and environmental conditions, making identification more difficult. Bruce Fuhrer’s A field guide to Australian fungi is a useful reference.

Fungi at the RBG CranbourneThe shaggy ink cap is one of the agarics (fungi with caps and gills, including the common field mushroom) to be found at the RBGC. The black spore mass was used as an ink in the past.

The aptly named horse-dropping fungus is a type of puffball fungus often found along the sides of tracks. When it is mature the outer skin flakes away exposing the powdery mass of spores to the wind and rain for dispersal. The earthstars are another puffball and when the spores are mature, the outer wall of the ball splits and opens into a star-shape, raising the fruiting body up and maximising spore dispersal.

There are a number of beautiful coral fungi that form complex coral-like structures. The stinkhorns are true to their name, having bizarre forms and unpleasant smells—the smell of rotting flesh is used to attract flies and other insects to disperse spores.

Then there are the woody pore fungi, many taking the form of brackets projecting horizontally from the host wood. The bright orange-red one is a common wood-rotting fungus.

When is the best time to look for fungi?Many Australian fungi fruit between late summer and early winter, depending on temperature, rainfall and other

From the bushland

The fascinating world of fungi

Ghost fungus, Omphalotus nidiformisPhoto: Clare Hart

Shaggy ink cap, Coprinus comatus Photo: Bron Merritt


environmental factors. Fire also plays a role in triggering the fruiting of many fungi. So when next out in the bush, especially in autumn after some good rains, keep your eyes open. It is amazing what you can find within a short distance if you look carefully.

More informationIt’s not possible to do justice to the amazing and curious world of fungi in a short article. If you want to find out more, Fungimap (hosted by the RBG Melbourne) is a good place to start for macrofungi (http://fungimap.org.au/index.php/get-involved).

You can become a citizen scientist by contributing your observations and photos to their fungi database for target species of

readily identifiable macrofungi. There is also information on various fungi workshops and field trips run mainly in autumn, and a regular newsletter.

—Mary Thackeray

Recent discovery day

Galloping through Gondwana

In late February a crowd of Friends, mustered by Rodger Elliot, gathered for a gallop through Gondwana.

Dr David Cantrill (RBG Melbourne) raced us through some geology:

• Continents warping and stretching; rift valleys forming; ancient oceans; magnetic field switches; rafting and much much more.

• In the Jurassic period, wet and warm with ancient flora such as conifers, ferns, cycads, Gondwana and Laurasia started to separate and a prolific plant population arose, which fixed a huge amount of carbon (later to become coal).

• Through later geological periods, plants evolved as the climate changed and the continents moved.

• In the Tertiary Period (66 million to 2.5 million years ago), Casuarinas, Banksia, Myrtaceae, Restioneaceae and Epacridaceae first appeared.

Dr Trevor Edwards (La Trobe University) explained how mountains, poles and pollinators influenced our flora, and described the similarities and differences in South African and Australian flora:

• South Africa (SA) has an amazing 24,000 species in 1.2 million km2 and Australia has 23,000 in 7.69 million km2 (SA wins).

• Two reasons for species diversity are migration and extinction. The axis of Australia is east-west but SA has a north-south axis, which has also affected plant evolution.

• In SA, mountainous regions provide many ecological niches, but Australia is very flat so if a plant can’t move and evolve, it is history.

• Pollinators of plants (e.g. wasps, bees, birds and flies) are important and plants need to evolve with them or they die out.

John Thompson (RBGC Friend) gave us some history on Gondwana plants popular since the mid-1950s, and their myriad uses:

• In public gardens and estates, Araucauria bidwillii (bunya pine), A. cunninghamii (hoop pine) and Agathis robusta (kauri pine) were planted.

• Ferneries were popular in the Victorian era. As early as 1808 Platycerium bifurcatum (elkhorn fern) was in England and in 1873, Dicksonia antarctica (soft tree fern) was in the Logan Botanical Gardens in Dublin.

• More recently Wollemia nobilis (Wollemi pine) has been made available to the general public.

• The first Australians ate the nuts of the bunya pine; hoop pine sap was used as a cement for axe handles; cycad seeds were eaten—but only after careful preparation.

• Images of Gondwana plants have appeared on postage stamps, in stained glass, and their timber has many uses. Hoop pine is used for icy pole sticks as it is odourless and tasteless!

A panel of the presenters answered all of our questions, including where to see some Victorian Gondwana areas: Tarra-Bulga National Park, the Strzelecki Ranges and the Errinundra Plateau. We then explored the Gondwana and Weird and Wonderful Gardens in the Australian Garden, with Luke Saffigna, John Arnott and Warren Worboys.

The interpretive signs give a great explanation of Gondwana. The planting environment is challenging, as it is hot and exposed in summer and too cold and wet in winter. Some plants will be changed over time as the surrounding areas get more shade and a micro-climate is established.

The day ended in the RBGC Nursery shed propagating Macrozamia communis (burrawang), Xanthorrhoae preisei (grass tree), Podocarpus lawrencei (mountain plum pine), Pherosphaera fitzgeraldii (Blue Mountains pine), Pollia crispata (pollia) and Hibiscus heterophyllus (native rosella).

Phew! Thanks to all the presenters, organisers and nursery staff. It was a fabulous day!

—Jan Chamberlain

Warren Worboys, Curator Horticulture, discussing some of the plants in the Weird & Wonderful Garden.

Above: Horse-dropping fungus, Pisolithus tinctorius

Right: What a whopper (a bolete growing near Leongatha) — that’s Cali Salzmann’s lower leg next to it. Photo: Bronwyn Swartz


My Press Gang report generally describes recent finds of significance, often orchids, and recounts the odd adventure on our monthly bush exploration. We’ve heard that people say that although this is interesting, they wonder exactly what the Press Gang do.

Well, we have nothing to do with publicity, nor do we press flowers to make gift cards (a couple of the queries).

Warren Worboys conceived the project of collecting, recording and preserving examples of all the plants growing at the RBG Cranbourne site. This includes exotics, i.e. weeds, but excludes the Australian Garden, as this is a contrived landscape.

Two collections are to be made, one kept at the Herbarium at RBG Melbourne, and the other to stay at RBG Cranbourne. In addition, a simpler set is to be made for educational purposes at Cranbourne. Linda Moon and I were invited to help run two groups, and we underwent three months of extensive training at the Melbourne Herbarium in the correct method of mounting the dried specimens to the exacting standards of a herbarium collection.

Mounting is a strictly controlled process using acid-free materials and water-soluble glue and a standard sized mounting board. The position of the specimen, labels and notes is also controlled: plant material is placed close to the left and top edges of the boards, for ease of microscope use. Labels and notes are always glued on the lower right corner. Only three methods of attachment are allowed, glue, sewing and paper

stripping. Whereas the volunteer group at the Melbourne Herbarium only mount already dried specimens, with labels printed and supplied, our group is busy with the whole process.

We find and collect the plants in both flowering and fruiting stage. We take cuttings or the whole plant, if it is small or herbaceous, including part of the root system. For orchids, we also take the bulb. We write up field notes for each plant, describing its size, height, width, growing habit, leaf types, flower and fruit types, colours of flower and leaf parts, bark and stem style and colour, leaf and flower arrangement. Soil type is noted. Habitat is noted, describing the area, plus listing surrounding plants. A grid reference and GPS reading is taken, then detailed colour photos showing the overall plant, and microscopic parts of the plant. The photo images are then storied on our computer, the field notes scanned and added to the database. The plant material is labelled, recorded and put in presses until dry and ready for mounting. A botanist must check and identify each species before the field notes are printed and a ‘Mel number’ and ‘Cran number’ assigned.

Our first collection day was in November 2001. The original collection list was 550 species. We are currently climbing towards 700. If properly preserved, the material will last for several hundred years. The oldest mounted specimen at the Melbourne Herbarium is a plant from India dated 1690!

—Nola Foster

What exactly do the Press Gang get up to?

Nola Foster

See historic examples of mounted specimens for Amorphophallus titanum on the opposite page.

Recording fungi

Point Nepean Photo: Ottre on cpmmoms.wikimedia.org

We shall supply warm drinks and biscuits on arrival. Please bring your own lunch and thermos for hot drinks at lunchtime and be prepared for all weathers. The amount of walking involved can be modified for those with limited mobility. There is wheelchair access to key areas, and there is a bus that takes visitors from the Quarantine Station to Fort Nepean. For additional information visit the website <www.parks.vic.gov.au> or ring Margaret Clarke on 0419 349 492.

—Margaret Clarke

Discovery day

Point Nepean National Park

Wednesday 25 September 10.30am–3pm

Meet at Quarantine Station Car Park

Point Nepean National Park is at end of Point Nepean Road, Portsea (Melway 156 C2). Follow signs to the Quarantine Station and new Point Nepean Information Centre. (NB. the old Information Centre and carpark have been closed.)

$20 members $25 non-members (includes $10 all-day bus ticket)

Travel down to the Point Nepean National Park to enjoy one of Victoria’s most beautiful natural landscapes. It has a rich history, having played an important role in shaping the early settlement, quarantine and defence of Victoria. The 560-hectare park (cf. RBG Cranbourne 363 hectares) is located at the very tip of the Mornington Peninsula, with outstanding coastal scenery and panoramic views of Bass Strait, the Rip and Port Phillip Bay.

As well as seeing the military forts and tunnels, the historic Quarantine Station and Harold Holt’s Memorial, we will be guided through the diverse coastal environment where the remnant flora and fauna is of very high significance. A ranger will share with us some of the activity behind the scenes, the extent of the work undertaken already and the plans for further restoration of the parkland, a good part of which was used for defence purposes over the years dating from the 1880s.

Travelling independently, preferably carpooling, we shall gather in the Quarantine Station area where the Information Centre is now located and parking is available.


Herbarium type specimen of the titan arum, Amorphophallus titanum, from the National Herbarium of Victoria, collected by botanist O Beccari in the western rainforest of Sumatra in 1878

Within the collection are many ‘type specimens’ that are housed in special red-marked folders. These are plant specimens that have been used by botanists to describe new species. The type specimens are very important, as they are the reference base used to ascertain whether similar plants warrant description as a new species.

We will also be visiting the Library, which houses one of the best collections of botanical and horticultural publications and botanical art in the southern hemisphere and includes many treasures! Here are some approximate figures of the holdings: 5000 botanical artworks, 40,000 slides and photographs, 20,000 books and 1700 journal titles (approximately 200 active titles).

In the afternoon we will explore the astounding Rainforest Border, which has amongst its plantings some magnificent old trees going back to the times of the first Director, Ferdinand von Mueller.

BYO lunch for a picnic in the Garden or you can purchase lunch from the Observatory Café.

There is a limit of 30 people for this activity. So it will be ‘first in, best dressed’.

—Rodger Elliot

Discovery day

National Herbarium of Victoria and Rainforest Border at RBG Melbourne

Wednesday 10 July 9.30am–3.30pm

Meet at Visitor Centre next to the Observatory Café

$20 (for FRBGC members only)

A visitor in the RBG Melbourne was chatting to his friends and after reading a directional sign he said, ‘What do they do in a herbarium? Grow herbs I suppose’!

The National Herbarium of Victoria is a section of the Plant Sciences and Biodiversity Division of the RBG and is directed by Professor David Cantrill, whom some members would have met at the successful Gondwana & Beyond Workshop.

The Herbarium has a marvellous history. It was founded in 1853 and has a very rich 19th-century collection, including material from Cook’s voyage in the Pacific, Robert Brown’s Australian travels with Matthew Flinders, Livingstone’s journeys in Africa as well as the ill-fated Bourke & Wills Expedition to northern Australia. You may have the hairs on the back of your neck bristling as you view some of these famous plant specimens. The Herbarium currently houses about 1.2 million preserved specimens: flowering plants, gymnosperms (conifers), algae, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, lichen and fungi.

The Herbarium’s collections are used in scientific research in the areas of biodiversity, plant classification, evolution, geography, molecular systematics, conservation and horticulture. We may be fortunate to see the recently pressed specimens of the notorious titan arum that flowered in the glasshouse at RBG Melbourne attracting over 20,000 visitors during the Christmas period.


Our kick start to the New Year on Sunday 10 February went well! Over 30 members, old and new, gathered in the Figgy Forest (otherwise known as the Ficus microphylla var. hillii forest). Balloons and coloured tablecloths lent a festive note and some

people were very lucky to win baskets full of horticultural goodies, and no one went home empty handed. All agreed that it was a great way to start the year of activities with the Friends and that it should be repeated next year. Watch out for the date in February

2014 and put it in your diary. The completed Australian Garden is looking wonderful and the numbers of people visiting is proof that we are on a winner! I am so proud of it and I hope you are too.

—Margaret Clarke

Kick starting the New Year in the Figgy Forest

Friends enjoying the Figgy Forest New Year brunch

At this workshop CFA Vegetation Manager Owen Gooding gave us a highly informative and thought-provoking presentation, based on the CFA publication Landscaping for bushfire.

Firstly we were given a brief overview of bushfire in Victoria, which is one of the most bushfire prone areas in the world, because of its combination of vegetation, weather and topography. We were reminded that the conditions that caused the huge loss of life on Black Saturday included a wind change that activated an elongated fire front and a vertical formation of pyro-cumulus cloud that engaged with the upper atmosphere, leaving fire-fighters powerless to stop the fire.

Then we heard about the three main reasons that houses burn: flame, radiant heat and ember attack, and that windows are particularly vulnerable. Spot fires from ember attack were emphasised as the most potent threat, and we discussed ways of fire-proofing vulnerable parts of houses from embers.

Owen emphasised that it is not really useful to give a list of fire-prone or fire-proof plants, as circumstances vary, and all plants will burn given the right conditions. However, characteristics such as the form of a plant (how open), the nature of the foliage (how volatile), the kind of bark (how easy it is to catch fire), the height (and consequent height of flame when alight)—all affect plant performance in bushfires.

A better approach, therefore, is to use appropriate landscape design principles:

• create a defendable space• remove flammable objects around the

home• break up fuel continuity• carefully select, locate and maintain trees.

This is a cost-effective means of protecting houses from bushfires. He showed us very useful examples of landscaping designs

Recent workshop

Planning and planting for bushfire

The CFA website (<www.cfa.vic.gov.au >) has heaps of very interesting information about planning for and surviving bushfires, including the booklet Landscaping for bushfire (<www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/landscaping-for-bushfire/>).

Owen Gooding noting the fine textured bark of the bottle tree, Brachychiton rupestris

for different situations (e.g. beach, bush, farm and urban). It was reassuring to learn that beautiful gardens can be created using these principles, and also that the retention of mature trees can assist in retarding the progress of a bushfire, by reducing wind speed and the risk of ember attack.

Owen answered our questions before we took off for our ramble in the Australian Garden where he illustrated the design principles. Some examples:

• inorganic mulches, paving and non-flammable borders provide separation between areas of fuel

• groundcovers, such as dichondra, lomandra, lepidosperma and small tufting grasses, as well as some low-growing cultivars, minimise flame height

• trees with an open framework of widely spaced branches are less volatile than densely foliaged plants such as cypress

• smooth, finely textured bark does not contribute to the mass of burning debris blown ahead of a fire front, causing spot fires.

Owen received an enthusiastic vote of thanks for his inspirational talk.

—Judith Cooke


Held on one of the hottest days of the year, this discovery day was a salutary reminder of the need to conserve water. All matters relating to water use in the Gardens were covered, from the design stages to plans for using alternatives to town water for irrigation in the future. After presentations from John Arnott, Warren Worboys and Josie

Vaganiance, we had a behind-the-scenes tour of the water treatment and recirculation lakes.

Aided by maps and photos, Warren described the variation in the contours of the Gardens, the natural water flows and sources of water—all of which were important factors in the original design. John spoke about the elaborate systems of irrigation that have been

built into the Gardens. Currently, town water is being used for irrigation, but it is hoped to use other sources, such as recycled water from Carrum Downs, or water sourced from the adjacent sand-mining operations, but none

Recent discovery day

Water harvesting and treatment

Harvested water at the Australian Garden

of these is chemically suitable at present. The Lakes and Rockpool Waterway use water collected on site, including roof runoff.

Josie gave us a fascinating insight into the future, starting with how rainfall and the moisture content of the soil are measured and recorded both for the Bureau of Meteorology and for the Gardens’ own use. Computer programs have been developed that collate this information and will determine the frequency and amount of water needed to be delivered to each section of the Gardens.

We braved the heat to visit the water treatment lakes and discovered how impurities are removed from the water by plants before it is pumped back to the point where it gushes out of the ground at the start of the Rockpool Waterway to begin its journey to the sea (aka the Lakes).

The Friends greatly appreciated the time given to them by such highly talented and experienced staff. A number of Garden Ambassadors also attended this discovery day as they are often asked about water use in the Gardens.

—Richard Clarke

Friends of RBG Melbourne and Cranbourne present two very interesting lectures about Melbourne’s waterways and one of their shy residents.

Melbourne’s sad streams: can we regain their lost richness?

Associate Professor Christopher Walsh, Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, Burnley CampusCurrent research is pointing to new approaches to urban water management that can not only avoid further loss of stream values as Melbourne expands, but also reverse some of our past losses. This will also bring a range of other benefits such as water supply augmentation, flood mitigation, and a greener, cooler urban environment.

Chris has been studying the ecology of streams in urban areas for 18 years. With Prof. Tim Fletcher he leads a research group aiming to optimise urban (and other) land and water management for the protection and restoration of running waters. Current projects include the Little Stringybark Creek project, a world-first attempt to restore the ecological health of a stream through catchment-scale retrofit of urban stormwater drainage.

Conserving the platypus

Geoff Williams, Director, Australian Platypus Conservancy

The platypus is one of the world’s most amazing mammals. Geoff Williams will detail some of the findings from the Conservancy’s extensive research program on this special and mysterious animal, discuss threats to the long-term survival of the species and suggest actions that can support conservation. Geoff has been studying platypus in the wild since 1994. He was Director of Healesville Sanctuary and Assistant Director of Sydney’s Taronga Zoo before helping to establish the Australian Platypus Conservancy. He has given numerous public lectures on platypus and Australian water rats, including speaking at the Royal Geographic Society in London, the National Museum of Australia in Canberra and at Melbourne Museum for the Australian Geographic Society, as well as community facilities throughout country Victoria.

Afternoon tea will be served between the lectures.

Friends of RBG Melbourne and Cranbourne are co-organising this activity, and FRBG Melbourne are handling bookings. You can download the booking form at <www.rbgfriendsmelbourne.org> or phone Alex Smart on 9707 5275 and ask him to post a booking form to you.

Book by Friday 19 July!

Lecture day

Restoring urban waterways and conserving the platypus

Sunday 28 July, 2pm

Mueller Hall National Herbarium, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Melway 2L A-1

$15 members Friends RBGM and RBGC $25 non-members

Chris Walsh


Planning day

We really would love your help to plan our activities for 2014

Sunday 4 August 9.30am–3.30pm


The day is free of any charge and you will be supplied with copious quantities of gratis tea and plunger coffee, plus many scrumptious nibbles!

What activities would you like to see the RBGC Friends offer to members and non-members in 2014?

This will be your opportunity to put forward your ideas—it’s a great fun day, productive as well as stimulating. So, please come and help create a wonderful program for next year. If you know anyone else you think might be interested in joining in, don’t hesitate to ask them to come— the more perspectives and ideas the better! We can’t say this strongly enough, that we really value your attendance on this day, so that we get the best shot at reflecting a wider range of Friends’ views.

We meet in the Australian Garden Auditorium at 9.30am for morning tea/coffee. At 10am we start the day. We finish by 3.30pm. For all that good thinking we need sustenance and time to socialise: excellent quality morning and afternoon coffee/tea breaks guaranteed. Lunch break is at noon (best to BYO unless you want to order from Boon Wurrung Café prior to our 10am start, to be ready for collection from the Café at 12 noon).

Please RSVP to Rodger Elliot. If you have any ideas for activities, but are unable to attend the meeting, do not neglect to contact him at <[email protected]>.

Hope to see you there.

—Friends RBG Cranbourne Committee

JUNE4 Tuesday Discovery day—Williamstown and surrounds

23 Sunday Plant genus workshop—Hakeas, see page 15

29 June – 1 September Cranbourne Collection Exhibition, see page 16

JULY10 Wednesday Discovery day—Herbarium tour, RBG Melbourne, see page 11

28 Sunday Lecture day—Platypus & Melbourne’s Rivers, see page 13

A C T I V I T I E S C A L E N D A R F O R J U N E – S E P T E M B E RAUGUST4 Sunday FRBGC 2014 activities planning day, see page 14

10 Saturday & 11 Sunday Growing Friends plant sale, see page 3

27 Tuesday August – 3 Tuesday September NSW Mid-north Coast tour, see page 15

SEPTEMBER15 Sunday Plant genus workshop—Orchids, see page 5

25 Wednesday Discovery day—Point Nepean National Park, see page 10

President: Richard Clarke 5974 1750Vice President: Helen Morrow 9850 9125Secretary: Helen Kennedy 9560 0185Immediate Past President: Margaret Clarke 5974 1750 Treasurer: Karen Russell 9878 4857Membership Secretary: Helen Morrow 9850 9125RBGC Representative: Chris Russell 5990 2200General Committee

Joy Buck 5998 7608Jill Burness 5990 2208JJ Edmondson 0411 311 742

Rodger Elliot 9879 1427Nola Foster 9583 5731Christine Kenyon 9589 2154 Bev Roberts 9391 3391Marjanne Rook 9769 7881Alex Smart 9707 5275

Naturelink EditorsSusan Funder [email protected] 0409 864 237Gill Gartlan [email protected] 5281 7569

Contact details for activity group coordinators are listed under Regular Monthly Activities.The committee meets on the second Thursday of the month at 6pm.

The Friends of RBG Cranbourne Committee

JOIN THE FRIENDS AND RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: • our quarterly newsletter Naturelink • discount rates for both Melbourne and Cranbourne Friends activities • access to Friends-only activities• 15% discount on plant sales at RBG Cranbourne • access to Friends-only plant sales

B E N E F I T S O F M E M B E R S H I P

• 10% discount at the Boon Wurrung Café • 10% discount at the Gardens Shop (Melbourne and Cranbourne).

You can get an application form from the website <www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg-cranbourne/friends-cranbourne>, the Visitor Centre at RBG Cranbourne, or Helen Morrow, Membership Secretary (on 9850 9125, or at <[email protected]>).


All-day workshop

Hakeas

Sunday 23 June9.00am–3.30pm


$60 members $75 non-members

Discovery tour

NSW mid-north coast tour

Spring 2013

A few places available

$1400 members

Have you booked for the hakea workshop yet? Not much time left to book. Bookings close on Friday 14 June.

This should be a very interesting and rewarding activity as it is a marvellous opportunity to learn about a fascinating genus in the protea family that is sometimes regarded as a poor relative of the very popular grevillea genus.

Neville Walsh, Senior Conservation Botanist from the National Herbarium at RBG Melbourne, is a popular presenter at Friends Workshops and he will guide us through things botanical relating to hakeas. Royce Raleigh is an experienced grower of hakeas and many other Australian plants who will concentrate on cultivation. Friends RBGC

There are a few places available, which we would love to fill, on our eight-day tour of this very interesting and beautiful area of NSW.

Participants will need to organise their own transport to Newcastle where we will join a coach for the tour. It is likely that we will end the tour at Coffs Harbour.

There will a pleasing mix of exploring natural regions as well as visiting botanic and private gardens. Proposed highlights for the tour include: Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Hunter Valley Gardens at Pokolbin, Myall Lakes, Wingham Brush, Middle Brother National Park, North Brother Mountain, Kattang Nature Reserve, Sea Acres Rainforest

member John Thompson will explore how hakea plants are used. Maja Zweck, who is a professional grafting and propagation practitioner, will provide an introduction to the grafting of hakeas. We will have a wander in the Australian Garden looking at hakeas as well as having a hands-on propagation session.

Morning refreshments will be available from 9.00am. At 9.30am we will start the workshop sessions.

BYO Lunch for a picnic in the Australian Garden or you can purchase lunch from the Boon Wurrung Café, but you’ll need to order before 9.30am and request that it be available for pickup at 1.00pm.

—Rodger Elliot

Centre, Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park, Speciosum Spectacular (native orchids) at Kempsey, Bellingen, Dorrigo Rainforest Centre and Skywalk, Red Rock National Park, North Coast Regional Botanic Gardens at Coffs Harbour, visits to private gardens, lovely beaches and possibly even some wineries for those who do not seem to be able to survive without such visits!

Price for the tour is $1400. This includes a levy of $200 that will be used for projects at the RBG Cranbourne. If you require any further information or to express your interest, please email me at <[email protected]>.

—Rodger Elliot

Discovery tour—expression of interest

Bellarine Peninsula

Cup Day weekend Friday 1 – Monday 4 November

Are you up for a four-day self-drive tour of the Bellarine Peninsula region later this year, on the Cup Day weekend? We plan to stay at the historic and elegant Suma Park near Queenscliff, from where we will explore the surrounding region, including private gardens, nurseries, coastal revegetation projects, and the marine environment.

Highlights will include:

• the weird and wonderful Roraima Nursery at Lara, specialising in unusual, exotic, drought-tolerant and architectural plants, with a special behind-the-scenes tour of its extensive display gardens, which feature innovative landscaping ideas and offer a large variety of natives, perennials, ferns, palms, bottle trees, and cacti and succulents—a must for anyone looking for unique plants or inspiration for their garden

• Greening Australia’s successful grassland restoration project at Moolapio, Point Henry, with a guided tour by Lyn Willcock

• a Geelong Botanic Gardens Friends Nursery visit with Sarah King

• a tour of significant coastal revegetation projects around Queenscliff/Pt Lonsdale

• a number of visits to private gardens, as well as the Whittington Bush Food Garden,

established with the advice and support of the local Wathaurong Aboriginal community (we might see the yummy yam daisy, or murnong)

• tour of the Marine Discovery Centre at Queenscliff—and a bay cruise (Marine Park, seagrassbeds, gannets, fur seals)

• a Bellarine Railway adventure• and much more … we plan to connect with

some of the very interesting locals!

Alternative activities, should you not be keen on bay cruising, could include a self-guided walk around Swan Bay, or a tour of historic Queenscliff.

Approximate cost would be $480 members, $540 non-members. Very comfortable accommodation, all breakfasts, all lunches and two evening meals are included (we’ll eat out one night in Queenscliff at our own expense) as well as train and boat fares. Costs are based on twin share (limited single supplement is available).

If you are interested in participating in this self-drive tour (a good opportunity for carpooling), please complete the Expression of Interest on the Booking Form. It should be a wonderful tour.

—Rodger Elliot, Susan Funder and Sarah KingSome of Roiama Nursery’s extraordinary plants: a 60-year-old African tree aloe, Aloe barerae (above), and on the front cover the dragon tree, Draceana draco


Artists in Residence

5–7, 12–14 July & 12–14 August 11am–2.30pm

Exhibition Space, Visitor Centre, RBGC

Recently seen at the Fabricators Exhibition

On a few days in July and August there will be a wonderful opportunity to visit the exhibition and watch botanical artists at work on their current painting. You will be able to get up close, ask questions and see the process of creating an accurate representation of a plant or an insect (because of the restrictions caused by myrtle rust) or other natural history subject. There is no cost involved.

Cranbourne Collection Exhibition

29 June – 1 September

Exhibition Space, Visitor Centre, RBGC

This is a rare opportunity for you to view the Cranbourne Collection at RBG Cranbourne at your leisure. It’s normally housed in the Library at the National Herbarium.

The Cranbourne Collection is an ongoing project. In 2001, after a suggestion by Kay Craig, a group of botanical artists set out to paint all the indigenous plants in the Cranbourne Gardens. The Collection relies solely on the generosity of the artists, whose paintings may take months to complete. John Armstrong coordinated this huge task whilst he was president of the Friends. The first works to be donated were presented to Dr Philip Moors in December 2002. Artists represented were Marina Albert, Laurie Andrews, John Armstrong, Kay Craig, Shirley Gange, Pam Habersberger, Margaret Holloway, Terry Napier and Gloria Thomlinson. Some of the Collection was included in the exhibition Nature’s art revealed held at Domain House in 2003. Now totalling 31 works with 13 artists represented, the Collection showcases the plants in great detail, and is well worth a good look.

Lycopherdon sp. by Margaret Holloway

Correa reflexa by Alison Findlay

Viola hederacea by GloriaThomlinson

At the recent Fabricator’s Exhibition (see page 6): visitors enjoying the inspiring display; a magnificent wallhanging by Gloria Loughnan inspired by the Australian tropics; a corner of the exhibition that created a lot of interest among visitors

chris russell - royal botanic gardens victoria · 2013-10-03 · presented by the director, chris...

Documents