botanic gardens of adelaide

113 Pages·2012·3.22 MB·English

BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE

MASTER PLAN REPORT

WITTUNGA BOTANIC GARDEN

DRAFT - V04

MAY 2012

BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE | Master Plan Report DRAFT V04: Wittunga Botanic Garden | Oxigen | 18.05.2012  Page | 1
BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE

MASTER PLAN REPORT

WITTUNGA BOTANIC GARDEN

MAY 2012

OXIGEN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND URBAN DESIGNERS
BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE | Master Plan Report DRAFT V04: Wittunga Botanic Garden | Oxigen | 18.05.2012  Page | 2
CONTENTS

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BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE | Master Plan Report DRAFT V04: Wittunga Botanic Garden | Oxigen | 18.05.2012  Page | 4
CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 PURPOSE OF THE MASTER PLAN
1.2 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT

2.0 SITE CONTEXT
2.1 PURPOSE OF BOTANIC GARDENS
2.2 MANAGEMENT
2.3 BOTANIC GARDENS STRATEGIC PLAN AND POLICIES

3.0 SITE HISTORY
3.1 PRE-EUROPEAN
3.2 GARDEN DEVELOPMENT
3.3 CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

4.0 SITE DESCRIPTION

5.0 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
5.1 BOTANIC GARDEN PRINCIPLES

6.0 KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES
6.1 GARDEN COMPOSITION
6.2 COLLECTIONS AND INTERPRETATION
6.3 VISITOR FACILITIES
6.4 MANAGEMENT

7.0 STRATEGIC RESPONSES AND ACTIONS
7.1 GARDEN COMPOSITION
7.2 COLLECTIONS AND INTERPRETATION
7.3 VISITOR FACILITIES
7.4 MANAGEMENT

8.0 WITTUNGA BOTANIC GARDENS MASTER PLAN
8.1 OVERALL PRINCIPLES
8.2 MASTER PLAN
8.3 GARDEN PRECINCTS

9.0 APPENDIX
9.1 REFERENCES
9.2 CONSULTATION SUMMARY

BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE | Master Plan Report DRAFT V04: Wittunga Botanic Garden | Oxigen | 18.05.2012  Page | 5
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

TBC
BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE | Master Plan Report DRAFT V04: Wittunga Botanic Garden | Oxigen | 18.05.2012  Page | 6
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Master Plan was commissioned by the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide under the direction of the Botanic
Gardens Project Team Group. The consultant team gratefully acknowledges the input and assistance of the
following people:

BOTANIC GARDEN STAFF:

Stephen Forbes BGA, Executive Director
Mary Yeates BGA, Project Leader
Andrew Carrick BGA, Manager , Collections and Horticulture
Trevor Christensen BGA, Deputy Director
John Sandham BGA, Collections Development Officer
Michael Shanahan BGA, Manager Communication, Education and Public Programs
Kate Punshon BGA, Manager Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
Tony Kanellos BGA, Cultural Collections Manager
Nicole Reynolds BGA, Events Manager
Graeme Burdett Wittunga Botanic Gardens, Curator
Mark Oborn Wittunga Botanic Gardens, Horticultural Supervisor

REFERENCE GROUP
John Barrie President, Australian Plant Society, SA
Nan Davies Vice President, Blackwood Action Group
Stewart Mitchell Chair of BBDCA’s Parks, Reserves and Vegetation s/c
Blackwood & Belair District Community Association
Veronica Lowe School Services Officer, Blackwood High School
David Deer Manager, Design and Technical, Mitcham Council
Ross Oke Manager, Urban Biodiversity Unit
Helena Jenkinson President, Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
Merilyn Kuchel President, Mediterranean Garden Society
Geoffrey Fuller Chief Executive Officer, Nursery & Garden Industry Association of South Australia
Enid Robertson Resident, Sherbourne Road, Blackwood and member of the Ashby Family
Graham Hicks Sales & Marketing Manager, State Flora
Chris Daniels Professor of Urban Ecology, University of South Australia
Christine Elstob Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
BOTANIC GARDENS OF ADELAIDE | Master Plan Report DRAFT V04: Wittunga Botanic Garden | Oxigen | 18.05.2012  Page | 9
1.1 PURPOSE OF THE MASTER PLAN

The purpose of this Master Plan for the Wittunga Botanic Garden is to outline the future direction for the
operation and function of Garden. Improvements to the Garden will reflect a desire to promote and educate the
community about sustainable horticulture. Coupled with this the master plan, in time, will provide improved
public facilities and ‘open up’ the Garden to the community.

Opened to the public in 1975, the Wittunga Botanic Garden is one of the three gardens managed by the Botanic
Gardens of Adelaide (BGA), the others being the Adelaide Botanic Garden and the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.
Originally a farming property owned and operated by the Ashby family, Wittunga is recognised for its collection
of Southern Australian and South African plant species, with its setting providing a backdrop for recreation and
appreciation of the collection. Wittunga also has a fascinating history of perseverance, experimentation and
innovation that adds an important cultural layer to the Garden and meaning to the local community.

After taking over the Garden in 1965, the period to 1975 was spent developing and implementing a garden
design for Wittunga in readiness for opening to the public. Modifications and improvements have occurred
incrementally since then but a formal master plan for the Garden has never been set in place.

Guided by the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide Strategic Plan and operating instructions, the master plan will:

• Provide a framework and staged directions for future improvements to Wittunga Botanic Garden;
• Reflect the legislation outlined in the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Act (1978) and Regulations
(2007);
• Reflect the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium Strategic Plan;
• Illustrate achievable outcomes for Wittunga Botanic Garden;
• Identify future projects and priorities;
• Provide a basis for infrastructure planning and funding.

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