GSA Guide - Botanic Gardens - Edward Street gate Claimed

While the City Botanic Gardens contain many rare and unusual botanic species, they also feature examples of interesting and important uses of stone.

History: 

In 1828 a Government Garden was established and partly used as the settlement's food gardens, planted by convicts as early as 1825. When the penal colony was closed in 1840 and free settlement commenced the Government Garden was retained.

The City Botanic Garden was established in 1855 and covered an area at the southern side of Gardens Point. This Garden was used to trial local and exotic plants which had the potential to be become useful crops in the new colony. Queens Park was a 10 acre garden strip along Alice Street which served as a sports and recreational ground between 1865 and 1916.

The original Botanic Gardens and Queens Park amalgamated in 1916 to form the current 20 hectares area known as the City Botanic Gardens.

Walter Hill, the first Curator, introduced pants such as mangoes, sugar cane, pineapples, pawpaws (papaya), custard apples, tobacco, ginger and many types of nuts and grape vines.

The Gardens are on the floodplain of the Brisbane River and have endured nine major recorded floods. Each