Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic Gardens; an unsuspected little gem

It's not often that I 'find' a new native botanic gardens in my (extended) back yard, but I did last week. Lou's parents live in Nowra, in the hinterland of the New South Wales south coast, some 15km from the sea on the Shoalhaven River, and we visit regularly. This time however we were turning off the highway to their place when we saw a very new sign (it had only been up for a week, I now know) pointing to the coast and directing us to Shoalhaven Heads Botanic Gardens. That was an offer I could most certainly not refuse! Shoalhaven Heads is a pleasant little community (though packed in summer) on the north bank of the mouth of the Shoalhaven, and an easy short drive from the highway. You simply take the first road immediately north of the highway towards the coast - Bolong Road, also known as Grand Pacific Drive - and follow the signs to Shoalhaven Heads and the gardens. If you somehow miss the signs, the gardens are on Celia Parade, a quiet little back street just across from the river mouth.

The view from less than 100m from the gardens, looking across the Shoalhaven mouth to the heads.

Though small, the gardens boast two weloming signs, above and below!

I have read that this entrance pergola is based on structure in Pioneer Park, Dorrigo (reason unspecified)
and in time will be covered (as all good pergolas should) in native vines.

I had a chat with a bloke wielding a hand hose - and periodically moving a big sprinkler - who turned out to be an immediate neighbour of the gardens, a moving force in its early days and an ongoing volunteer. Indeed it is evident even to an outsider that this is a community project and volunteers are its engine. He described how 10 years ago the lush gardens were just a bare paddock, through which cars sped on the open-sided road. The only significant native plant was a big old Bangalay Eucalyptus botryoides, which still towers above the plantings. It was originally known as the Curtis Park Arboretum, and only in September 2017 did it adopt its current, perhaps more descriptive, name.
Also in 2017 it joined Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand, a body representative of Australasian botanic gardens, especially regional ones.

The 'grandparent' of the gardens, an old Bangaly, or Southern Mahongany.

He described the difficult early days in trying to persuade the local Council that a gardens could be created here, and that they should part with money to help make it happen. Fortunately it did happen, and both Council and State governments have since contributed though, as already noted, the on-ground work comes from dedicated locals. (Indeed this is truly a community precinct, with a Men's Shed, Meals on Wheels and a child care centre as neighbours.)

I was expecting an emphasis on south coast plants, but this is an ambitious project, with plantings from the east coast from the farthest tropics down to the Shoalhaven. One might raise one's eyebrows at this apparent hubris, but my strong opinion is that if someone else is doing the work (especially voluntarily) they can do the job however they please! (Moreover, only a couple of hours down the road is the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens which fills the south coast specialist role admirably.) And expanding on that theme, across the road is nice little picnic park, which now has a lovely fringing garden of very healthy south Western Australian plants. I understand the plan is to expand this and there is room to do so without impinging on this park's other uses.

A case in point is this Native Frangipani Hymenosporum flavum, Family Pittosporaceae, found from
New Guinea and tropical Queensland to northern NSW.

I have hinted this this is a small botanic garden, and I almost hesitate to tell you how small, lest it put you off, but even having explored it I was surprised when I went to Google Earth to measure it. It is less than 130 by 60 metres, but so well is it designed, with paths winding through dense plantings, that the impression is of a larger space. Signage is excellent; not all plants have these comprehensive signs, but those that have simpler signs are complemented by a well-researched 24-paged A5 brochure available on site.

A couple of sample signs, above and below; all are sponsored, some by local industries,
more by individuals and community groups.

Perhaps now I should just share some images from the gardens with you, with the unabashed aim of encouraging you to go and see for yourself.

A view of the open space in the centre of the gardens.

Mixed Grevillea planting - quite a few cultivars are here, but I return to my previous comment on
volunteers doing the work.

Kentia Palm Howea forsteriana, a Lord Howe Island endemic.

Red Cedar Toona ciliata, a tree found from southern Asia to eastern Australia.
In earlier times stands of the tree were ravaged from all accessible Australian rainforests,
though populations are now recovering well. It's worth remembering that most of the plantings date only from 2010.

Wollemi Pine Wollemia nobilis, an ancient Gondwandan conifer known only from fossils until
a living population was famously found in Wollemi National Park, not far west of Sydney, in 1994.

A nice stand of Xanthorrhoea, or grass trees; more on them here.

Another scarce and localised plant, Hinchinbrook Banksia, B. plagiocarpa. First collected from the Queensland
mainland near Cardwell in the 1860s, it wasn't seen again until 1979 on nearby Hinchinbrook Island, and
named in 1981 by banksia doyen Alex George. The distinctive red velvety new leaves (resembling odd flowers
from a distance) are readily visible here. I'm looking forward to going back in autumn for the
unusual and lovely purple-grey real flowers.

Wedding Bush, Ricinocarpos sp. I missed the sign here, so am not sure if it's the local species

Coastal Rosemary Westringia longifolia; this one is local!

And another spectacular Quenslander Grevillea banksii.Unfortunately this one is now an environmental weed in both Hawaii and Madagascar.

And, almost finally, across the road for a look at the new Western Australian beds.

The picnic park with tables in the background and the main gardens across the road; the WA
plantings so far consist of a strip along the houses to the right of the photo.

A closer view of the bed, with spectacular big Red Kangaroo Paws Anigozanthus rufus.I think the big red flowers above them are Beaufortia, but I was distracted by the paws!

Close-up of the remarkable Red Kangaroo Paw flowers.

Heart-leaf  Flame Pea Chorizema cordatum.

And perhaps that's enough plants for now - you have to see something for yourself. So, I'll finish with another feature of the gardens, some lovely and quirky sculpture.

I particularly like the touch of the sharpener in the foreground.

Fungi feature prominently...

... as do lizards.

Living animals were a bit scarcer, but it was a warm morning and I'm sure another visit could be more rewarding in that department.

Even the toilets are works of art.

Perhaps we're not supposed to notice that the blokes get one to themselves, while women and
people in wheelchairs must share...

This really is a little treasure, and while I'd not expect you to drive from somewhere else for it, there is plenty else to attract you to the Shoalhaven, and if you find yourself in the vicinity you should do yourself and the stewards of Shoahaven Heads Native Botanic Gardens a favour and drop in.

NEXT POSTING THURSDAY 15 NOVEMBER 

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