Botanic Gardens

Booderee Botanic Gardens are the only Aboriginal-owned botanic gardens in Australia, and are a must-see during your visit to Booderee. We recommend planning to spend between an hour and a full day at the Gardens, as there are so many areas to explore.

Discover the botanic gardens

Visit the Booderee Botanic Gardens to learn about bush tucker, the medicinal uses of plants, and the long association the Koori people have with the area and the plants of south-eastern Australia.

Download podcast (MP3 - 1.84 MB)

Enjoy the peaceful setting of the gardens by relaxing on the grass lawns or using the picnic tables provided. It’s the perfect place to settle for a picnic lunch.

At the Scribbly Lawn you’ll find electric barbecues and a sheltered picnic area for large groups or wet weather use.

There are a number of beautiful walking trails through the botanic gardens, and it’s an excellent place to watch birds and other animals. Admission to the gardens is included in the entry fee for Booderee National Park.

Download brochure & map (PDF, 3 MB)

Opening hours

The gardens are open from 8 am every day of the year, including public holidays.

Closing times vary depending on the time of year:

1 May – 30 September: gardens close at 4 pm.
1 October – 30 April: closing time varies between 5 pm and 7 pm as advised on the gardens’ entry gate.

Explore

Learn about the fascinating plants of the region and how they are used by local Koori people.

Follow the well-formed paths through the rainforest, heath, forest and other cultivated areas.

Many of the paths through the gardens are suitable for assisted wheelchair use and prams, simply ask one of our friendly rangers for advice as to which paths might suit your needs.

Experience some of the natural coastal vegetation communities of the area by walking along one or more of the nature trails.

You can combine the nature trails and other paths to do a 3.7 km loop walk around the gardens.

Allow between one hour and a whole day for your visit.

History

Mountain devil, Booderee botanic gardens

Local Koori people from the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community, the Traditional Owners of the park, have worked on this site for several generations. You can learn about Bernie McLeod, one of our Traditional Owners, and his family’s long-standing connection to the Gardens in the Botanic Gardens podcast.

In the early 1900s, the botanic gardens site was actually part of a farm owned by Australian piano manufacturer Ocatvius Beale.

Octavius tried to use the farm, known as Bherwerre, to grow timber for piano frames. The timber plantations failed so the farm moved into grazing and dairy.

Development of the botanic gardens started in 1951, when the area was selected to be a frost-free annex of the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.

Droving Bullock in times past, Booderee National Park

The local Koori community became the owners of the gardens and the park in 1995, and now manage them jointly with Parks Australia.

In 2000, the gardens became independent of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, but they maintain close ties and regularly collaborate on projects targeting conservation.

Booderee Botanic Gardens focuses on the Aboriginal use of plants and have a dedicated Koori Garden and education shelter where visitors can learn about bush foods and medicinal use of the plants in the park.