The Tasmanian Arboretum is a botanical tree park (an arboretum) near

Devonport, Tasmania Devonport ( ; Palawa Kani: ''Tiagarra'') is a city in northern Tasmania, Australia, located on the lands of the Pannilerpanner clan of the Palawa nation. It is situated at the mouth of the Mersey River. Devonport had an urban population of 26, ...

, Australia.

History

The arboretum was incorporated on 16 May 1984. The site originally consisted of 47ha of farmland and remnant forest which was purchased with Australian Bicentennial Grant funding. The first plantings of woody plants to add to the existing trees was in 1986. 11ha adjoining the main Eugenana site was given in 1996 by the then North Forest Products to help protect the landscape values of the sites location. In 2009 a further 7.9ha, consisting of a disused quarry floor and some cleared land surrounding the Eugenana State Reserve has been purchased. Total area of the main site is 66ha with some 40ha for the collection and 22 of local natural vegetation. The balance is either quarry floor or infrastructure. The original purchase was made with an Australian bi-centennial grant. Further development has been funded by many Tasmanian organizations and individuals as well as some from other States who supported the objectives.

Current park features

The main site encompasses a section of the

Don River The Don ( rus, Дон, p=don) is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire. Its ...

where it adjoins Melrose Creek, surface limestone formations, old limestone quarries dating from circa 1860, associated tramway and railway formations and infrastructure associated with landscaping and managing a landscape arboretum. There are over 4900 plants in the geographic and thematic collections, besides the indigenous species natural to the site. Collections are mainly of temperate plants of the world. This includes the Tasmanian woody flora, the Southern Hemisphere conifers including

Wollemia ''Wollemia'' is a genus of coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. It was known only through fossil records until 1994, when the Australian species ''Wollemia nobilis'' was discovered in a temperate rainforest wilderness area of the Wollemi ...

, the Genus

Eucryphia ''Eucryphia'' is a small genus of trees and large shrubs native to the south temperate regions of South America and coastal eastern Australia, mainly Tasmania. Sometimes placed in a family of their own, the Eucryphiaceae, more recent classificati ...

and the cool temperate ''

Nothofagus ''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Gui ...

''. Broadly, this represents a collection of the descendants of the flora of Gondwana. About 80 species of birds have been recorded from the site including the

swift parrot The swift parrot (''Lathamus discolor'') is a species of broad-tailed parrot, found only in southeastern Australia. The species breeds in Tasmania during the summer and migrates north to south eastern mainland Australia from Griffith- Warialda ...

(''Lathamus discolor'') and the

grey goshawk The grey goshawk (''Accipiter novaehollandiae'') is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family ''Accipitridae'' that is found in eastern and northern Australia. The white morph of this species is known as the white goshawk. Tax ...

(''Accipitifer novaehollandae''). The arboretum is open daily from 9 am to sunset and requests a donation from visitors so it may continue its work. Activities include walking the tracks in a peaceful setting to view the plants, the wildlife, the art, the landscape and the limestone heritage.

Platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...

may be seen on Founders' Lake. Wind generated waves may obscure the animal when it surfaces. Tasmanian nativehens (''Tribonyx mortierii'') abound, and other birds may be observed. The picnic area contains shelters with coin-operated barbecues and outdoor wood-fired ones. Exhibitions and other activities are listed on the

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

page.

Organization

The organization, The Tasmanian Arboretum Inc., is an incorporated not for profit organization dedicated to operating a botanical institution for education, enjoyment of nature and research. It has a membership and is governed by an elected committee of up to 14. For taxation purposes the Tasmanian Arboretum is a Deductible Gift Recipient Maintenance of the collections is largely by the volunteers. Development has been funded by a range of donors. The Devonport City Council currently grants $20,000 per annum to assist with operations of the cultural attraction.

References

Tasmanian Arboretum Plant Records Deductible Gift Recipient Endorsed Entity https://abr.business.gov.au/Tools/DgrListing

External links

Arboretum website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tasmanian Arboretum Arboreta in Australia 1984 establishments in Australia Devonport, Tasmania Botanical gardens in Tasmania