A central theme of the Australian Garden is the story of water and its passage through the Australian landscape. Figuratively, the design of the Australian Garden follows the journey of water from the dry inland deserts to the densely populated coast. The Show Garden reflects this story with a range of features including red sand lunettes, a water feature, and much more.
The Australian Garden at Cranbourne takes us on a journey via a Rockpool Waterway, eucalypt forests, and ultimately to display gardens where visitors can discover how to use water in their own home gardens.
Featuring 100,000 plants representing over 1,000 species (including rare and ancient varieties), the Australian Garden presents Australia’s unique flora in spectacular landscapes that explore their influence on Indigenous and European cultures.
As well as being a magnificent horticultural display, the Australian Garden educates visitors about the environment and its management and demonstrates sustainable practices for home gardeners.
Major features of the garden include:
- the Red Sand Garden’s crescent-shaped sand dunes, reminiscent of the central arid lands of Australia,
- the swirling Rockpool Waterway, with its 100-metre stream ebbing and flowing like an inland river,
- major landscape sculptures – the massive 90-metre Escarpment Wall by Greg Clark (possibly Australia’s largest sculpture), and the Ephemeral Lake’s crusted ceramic plates created by Mark Stoner and Edwina Kearney
- five large Exhibition Gardens to inspire gardeners how they can use Australian plants at home.
The garden has already received 17 international, national and regional awards for landscape design, tourism and sustainability, including ‘Best new tourism development in Australia’ in the 2006 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.
The second stage of the Australian Garden – approximately nine hectares – is scheduled for completion in late 2011, following the unveiling of the Show Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2011.
The Australian Garden – including both stages one and two – is a $45 million project which has received generous assistance from the Victorian Government, The Ian Potter and Colonial Foundations and many philanthropic, individual and community supporters.
