Olive Pink Botanic Garden |
Olive Pink Botanic Garden is a 16-hectare botanic garden specialising in plants native to the arid central Australian region.
The Olive Pink Botanic Garden is located a short drive from the town's CBD, on land developed as a reserve for arid region flora by Miss Olive Pink in the 1950s.
Today, the site includes a well-developed garden area and a Visitors Centre incorporating a Meeting Room, Offices and a Cafe with outdoor seating, as well as numerous shade structures for formal and informal community activities including weddings, memorials, concerts, exhibitions and public forums.
The Garden also includes Tharrarltneme (Annie Meyer Hill), a sacred site important to Arrernte people.
Overview
The Olive Pink Botanic Garden was opened to the public in 1985 and there are now over 600 central Australian plants represented in the garden, 145 of these occur naturally within the rocky hill habitat. There are 40 rare or threatened species present look for 2 horizontal lines on their label.
A network of walking trails takes visitors around the garden and up on to Annie Myers Hill, where great views of Alice Springs, the Todd River and the MacDonnell Ranges can be seen. There are the self guided walks and interpretive signs to help the visitors learn about desert plants, their uses and about the life of the Garden's founder Miss Pink.
Excellent birdwatching and wildlife viewing exist in the Garden - Euros (hill kangaroos) are commonly seen, and over 80 bird species have been recorded. Shelters provide areas for picnics or relaxing and these facilities can also be hired for private functions.
The People's Garden
The Garden's Design Masterplan, titled 'Olive Pink Botanic Garden - the People's Garden', was launched by Libby Prell on Miss Pink's birthday, Saturday 17th March. 75 people were on hand to celebrate the unveiling of a sweeping vision of the Garden's future.
Special guest Julie Marcus, the author of The Indomitable Miss Pink, spoke about Miss Pink's campaigns and commended the proposed Miss Pink Centre to be located in the existing buildings in the Garden. Libby thanked all of those in the community who put so much into its' development and then handed over a 108 page Garden Design Masterplan to the new Chair of the Garden's Board of Trustees, Fran Kilgariff AM. Fran, Peter Latz, Connie Spencer AM and Dr Colleen O'Malley spoke glowingly of Libby's transformative role in the Garden as Chair over many years, including her work in developing the Design Masterplan.
Fran also talked about her memories of Miss Pink from her childhood, and said that she looked forward to working with everyone on the implementation of this historic and visionary plan for the Garden and the people of Alice Springs.
Developed over 12 months of public and stakeholder consultations, this ambitious plan aims to unlock the potential of the Garden for the people of Alice Springs. It was funded by the NT Government, and developed by landscape designer 'Clouston and Associates', architects Dugdale and Associates, and Geoff Miers Garden Solutions after extensive consultation.
A keystone of the Plan is the central place Arrernte culture and employment will have in the future of the Garden. In addition, the Plan outlines how the Garden can make a much greater contribution to the liveability, public amenity, tourism, cultural life and the environment of Alice Spring.
Mallee Walk
This self-guided walk will introduce you to a number of mallees that grow in Central Australia.
Mallee is the name given to multi-stemmed trees which belong to the gum tree genera Eucalyptus and Corymbia.
There are around 1000 different eucalypts and bloodwoods worldwide, the majority only occurring in Australia. Mallee was a very common vegetation type across drier parts of southern Australia before extensive clearing for agriculture.
Mallees provide animportant source of firewood, timber, gum, honey and Eucalyptus oil. Mallee habitat is critical for many native plants and animals. Unlike other parts of Australia, mallees and other gum trees are relatively rare in Central Australia, where wattles predominate.
Wattle Walk
This self-guided walk will introduce you to a number of wattles (Acacia) that grow in Central Australia.
There are over 1000 different wattles in Australia and over 1300 worldwide. The wattle has been regarded as our national flower since 1901; however it was not until 1988 that Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) officially became our national emblem.
Wattles have been used extensively by Aboriginal people and by European settlers for timber, firewood and food. The seeds of several different species are an important food resource for Aboriginal people, and more recently wattle seed products have been developed for the growing bushfood market. Wattle is the predominant habitat type across Central Australia.
Hill Walk
The walk will introduce you to a number of the native plants that grow in the rocky hill habitat of the region.
Many of these plants have evolved to tolerate drought. Some, known as 'resurrection plants' do so by dying back and regenerating from rootstock or tubers once rain falls again.
Please make sure you take water with you, have appropriate footwear for the rocky path and supervise children. There is a sign at the top of the hill outlining the importance of this site to the Arrernte people.
We ask visitors to keep to the path and respect this important cultural site.
This walk is self-guided, 40 minutes return.
Bean Tree Cafe
The Bean Tree Cafe at Olive Pink Botanic Garden is a gorgeous place to have Breakfast, lunch, morning or afternoon tea, as well evening functions. There are not many other places that you can be entertained by western bowerbird's antics while you dine, or watch perenties saunter past on summer days. The Bean Tree Cafe has a range of delicious home-style vegetarian and meat savory dishes, burgers, salads, tarts, cakes and slices to tempt your palate!
Messenger
❊ Address ❊
⊜ 27 Tuncks Road, Desert Springs 0870 View Map
✆ Telephone: 08 8952 2154
❊ Web Links ❊
➼ Olive Pink Botanic Garden
➼ www.opbg.com.au
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