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Explore the collections

Dja Dja Wurrung seasonal calendar

Aboriginal people have their own calendars, which are closely tied to the life cycles of local plants and animals. The Dja Dja Wurrung recognise six seasons, illustrating how different the local weather and ecology are from Europe.

Alluvial terraces

The alluvial terraces are home to a eucalypt-dominated woodland that provides a canopy for diverse herbs and grasses underneath.

Ethnobotanical plants

Specimens in this section have bark, sap, nectar, branches and leaves that served useful purposes in the past and still do today.

Rose garden

The rose garden beds are interspersed within the gardens with hybrid tea (mostly single stemmed) and floribunda (branching bouquets) roses of the 1950s and 1960s.

Oaks and pines

The oaks and pines are a key feature of these gardens. They continue to be collected for their beauty, diversity and climate suitability.

Box Ironbark Forest

The Box Ironbark Forest is commonly found in the Goldfields region in areas with low rainfall and shallow, infertile soils on undulating ground. You will also find them in some of Australia's most celebrated art and literature.

Flora and fauna reserve

This dry woodland reserve sits in the north-western section of the gardens and is home to the endangered Eltham butterfly as well as 98 indigenous flora species.

Climate change in the Botanical Gardens

Climate change means what we plant in the future will reflect new conditions. It is predicted that by 2050 Bendigo’s climate will be more like Echuca’s today.