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Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha

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Tropical Display Dome of the Botanical Garden
Bonsai House

The Brisbane Botanic Gardens are located 7 km from the city of Brisbane in Toowong, Queensland, at the foot of Brisbane's tallest mountain, Mount Coot-tha.

The gardens, which cover 52 hectares, were established by the Brisbane City Council in 1970, and officially opened in 1976. The gardens are the second botanical gardens established in Brisbane. The original gardens, now known as the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens are located in the Brisbane CBD. The new gardens were developed by the City Council because the original city site could not be expanded and was flood prone.

Features of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens include:

  • Tropical Display Dome
  • Japanese Garden
  • Bonsai House
  • Fern House
  • Arid Zone and Cactus House
  • Exotic Rainforest
  • Australian Rainforest
  • Fragant Plant and Herb Garden
  • Temperate Garden
  • Lagoon and Bamboo Grove
  • Australian Plant communities
  • National Freedom Wall

The gardens are open every day of the year from 8am to 5pm. Entry to the gardens is free.

Located adjacent to the entrance of the gardens is the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, which incorporates the Cosmic Skydome. Sir Thomas Brisbane, in addition to being the Governor of New South Wales after whom the city of Brisbane was named, was also an amateur astronomer.

Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden

The Tsuki-yama-chisen Japanese Garden was created from the display outside the Japan Pavilion at the Brisbane Expo '88, and was opened on February 6, 1989 through the work of the Brisbane Lord Mayor Sallyanne Atkinson and Nichahiro Hanamura, the chair of the Japan Association for the Expo.

Above the entrance, are three Japanese characters engraved in gold, which in Japanese are ‘yu-tsui-en’. This literally translates to ‘play, blue-green, garden’ and simply means ‘Come in to this garden and enjoy the blue of the water and green of the trees’. The theme of the garden ‘tsuki-yama-chisen’ or ‘mountain-pond-stream’ is reflected in the water feature of the garden. Another feature which is not to be forgotten is just as special as the previous; the stone ‘tsukabai’ or water bowl. It is more than 100 years old and is used to ‘provide running water needed in the purification ritual that occurs before the tea ceremony’. The most captivating feature of the garden is the stones which create the mountain. These stones of the waterfall suggest ‘endurance and the eternal passing of time’.

In 2005 a clump of bamboo flowered just outside the gates to the Japanese Garden. Bamboo flowering is very rare and many bamboo enthusiasts go their whole lives without ever witnessing such an event. As is often the case after bamboo flowers, this plant died and was replaced with another specimen.


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