The Bendora Arboretum is an

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

in the Australian Capital Territory located within Namadgi National Park. It was established in 1940 by Dr

Charles Lane Poole Charles Edward Lane Poole (16 August 1885 – 22 November 1970) was an English Australian forester who introduced systematic, science-based forestry practices to various parts of the Commonwealth, most notably Australia. Biography Early life an ...

, Director of the then

Forestry and Timber Bureau Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

as one of a series of experimental plantings to help determine which commercial species of trees should be grown in the

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

district. It consists of fifty-two species of trees laid out in 9 x 9 blocks (81 trees per block). It survived the

Canberra bushfires The 2003 Canberra bushfires caused severe damage to the suburbs and outer areas of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during 18–22 January 2003. Almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) pastures, pine plantations, and nat ...

of 2003. It is listed on the Heritage Places Register of the ACT. The name of the Arboretum was made up by Lane Poole in 1940. It is not an Aboriginal name as some believe.''Above the Cotter – A driver’s and walker’s guide to the North Brindabellas'' Ian Fraser and

Margaret McJannett Ian Thomas Fraser (born 1951) is an Australian naturalist, conservationist and author, based in Canberra, where he arrived from Adelaide in January 1980. From 1997, he presented a fortnightly natural history show on ABC Radio Canberra, unti ...

, Canberra, 1991 p58 Today the Arboretum is visited by bushwalkers, with signage describing the history of the site and botanical significance of the trees. A picnic table located in the centre of the Arboretum makes it a popular place for picnics.

References

Arboreta in Australia Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register {{Canberra-geo-stub