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Malmsbury Botanic Garden

Location

Mollison Street, MALMSBURY VIC 3446 - Property No G13122

File Number

G13122

Level

State

Statement of Significance

Malmsbury Botanic Garden, set aside in 1857, developed from 1863 and maintained by the Borough of Malmsbury until 1915.
- as an early and representative example of a nineteenth century regional botanic garden, a garden type best exemplified in Australia by the collection of such gardens created in colonial Victoria; typical characteristics of regional botanic gardens found at Malmsbury include location at a township founded in the wake of gold discoveries, plantings of specimen trees, a wide range of plants, a documented supply of plants from other colonial botanic gardens and horticulturists, and incorporation of a major water feature;

- for its design and layout, still reflected in the disposition of major trees, topography, overall balance of planting (i.e. contrast between specimen trees and lawns), the position and configuration of the lake; this is characteristic of picturesque gardens of the mid-nineteenth century in Victoria;

- for its collection of plants, characteristic of late nineteenth century Victorian gardens as well as some outstanding individual specimens such as Araucaria bidwillii, the stand of Sequoiadendron giganteum, Cedrus atlantica f. glauca, Picea smithiana, Sequoia sempervirens, and the rare Crataegus coccinoides, and an Arbutus collection;

- for the inclusion of structures which represent the themes of acclimatisation (fish hatchery), recreation (tennis pavilion), civic pride (town hall, memorial gates and rebuilt fountain) and government infrastructure based on the wealth from gold (the railway viaduct);

- for the considerable aesthetic values of the site; this is derived from the manner in which this site, located on the Coliban River at the foot of a steep valley, forms a focus for the township of Malmsbury; views into and out of the gardens, especially to the outstandingly significant basalt arched railway viaduct; the link between the gardens and the Coliban River; the maturity of the plants in the gardens; and

- for its social value to the local community and travellers using the Calder Highway as a public garden, popular throughout its history and still well patronised by residents and visitors alike.
Classified: 1/12/1997

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