Norfolk Island Botanic Gardens
Botanic Garden walking trails | Norfolk Island Flora | Plants of special interest | Species list
The Norfolk Island Botanic Gardens house a collection of specimens of plants endemic to Norfolk Island. The garden aims to develop and display a collection of Norfolk Island's unique flora with a strong emphasis on increasing knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of Australia's plant heritage.
The Norfolk Island Botanic Gardens were declared jointly by the Norfolk Island and Commonwealth Governments as a Commonwealth Reserve on 30 January 1986. The original garden was owned by Mrs. Pat Moore and covered 0.6 ha. Mrs. Moore (nee Annie Eliza Kirkpatrick) moved to Norfolk Island from New Zealand in 1949. She purchased the property and organised for the land to be cleared of tobacco, weeds and fallen tree trunks. She also began work on installing tracks to provide access to the bottom of the valley. As Mrs. Moore developed the garden, she planted numerous species of plants found only on Norfolk Island. And so began the collection which was to become the basis for the Norfolk Island Botanic Garden. Before she returned to New Zealand in 1975, Mrs. Moore ensured that her hard work, dedication and vision would not be lost to future generations of Norfolk Island residents and visitors, by making it possible for the Norfolk Island Administration to take over the management of the area, which was declared as a Flora and Fauna Conservation Area.
Since the declaration of the Botanic Garden in 1986, it has been managed under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation ACT (1975) and subsequently under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act (1999). In 1993 a further 4.9 ha of remnant rainforest was purchased and added to the Gardens.
The Botanic Gardens are 5.5 hectares in area including both natural vegetation and cultivated sections. There are a number of beautiful walking trails through Botanic Gardens and National Park and it is an excellent place to observe birds and other fauna close at hand.