Guest Speaker Mick Brennan, Assistant Curator at the Albury Botanic Gardens gave us an insight into future projects planned for this four hectare site  known for its established trees, meandering pathways and colourful garden beds.

When Albury Mayor, Alderman William Jones opened the gardens with the planting of an English Elm tree in 1877, he created an icon which has stood the test of time. The gardens have a long history and are extremely popular with horticultural enthusiasts and garden lovers, many travelling from around the country to explore the 1,000 plus native and exotic plant species. There are a range of things to do when you visit the gardens such as self-guided walks, the dinosaur family in the children’s garden or you can simply relax and watch the world pass by. From a conservation point of view, work is going into regeneration and replacement of species that have reached the end of their life-span, in particular the elm trees in Elm Avenue. With the assistance of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens, there is  planned a range of improvements to not only keep people going here, but to engage a whole new audience, in particular children through the creation of a Children’s Garden.  To guide the management and ongoing improvements to the gardens the Conservation Management Plan was developed in 1997 and a Marketing Strategy in 2005. While the gardens already attract around 300,000 people a year, including over 75 weddings, there is room for many more, making the Albury Botanic Gardens one of the most visited outdoor attractions in Australia.