Opened last October by Governor Marie Bashir, the $20 million PlantBank centre aims to house seeds from all of Australia’s 250,000 native plant species in order to conserve the country’s flora for the future.
Designed to withstand fire and other threats, the remarkable new facility will allow scientists to recreate native plants that may become extinct in the future through incidents such as bushfires. Plants in the laboratories are stored as seeds, through tissue culture or cryogenically with temperatures as low as -196°C.
On the weekends the dedicated volunteer guides at the Garden provide free guided tours of the Australian PlantBank (please keep in mind these do not go behind the scenes like the paid tours do). The free tours show visitors where conservation collections are researched, grown and banked, and encourage them to learn more about Australia’s diverse flora.
(Please note: Tours are subject to availability and may not run every weekend. Visitor are advised to contact the Garden to confirm times and availability. Tour times can vary so please contact the Visitor Centre to confirm times and to book your space on the tour as tours book out quickly).
Date: Every Saturday and Sunday (subject to availability)
Time: Tour times vary
Duration: Tours run for approximately 1 hour
Cost: Free
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