Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens 20-year plan launched as sensory garden unveiled

Major changes planned over the next 20 years for Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens have been revealed.

The master plan for Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens was released on Thursday.

Major changes planned over the next 20 years for Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens have been revealed, including a new underground vault for the herbarium.

Delivered in stages, the nature and science precinct will include a below ground vault to house the state botanical collection and remodelling of the 1934 building.

“There is an urgent need to safeguard Victoria’s future by protecting its state botanical collection with the construction of a new national herbarium of Victoria, and to use that opportunity to unlock those collections for scientific research,” the master plan, released on Thursday, reads.

Artist’s impression of Birrarung Gate at the gardens.

The herbarium houses 1.5 million preserved plant specimens dating back to the 1600s, which have been “painstakingly” collected from all over the world.

“The combined living and preserved plant collections underpin Victoria’s response to urgent issues in climate change, biosecurity, natural resource management, and Victoria’s therapeutic, agrifood and fibre economy,” the master plan reads.

People walking around the new sensory garden at Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett

Victorians are also being encouraged to go barefoot while they check out the stunning new sensory garden.

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria director Tim Entwisle said the garden offered a timely place to relax after a tough year for the state with COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown.

“You can touch the plants, see the water lilies and you can smell the perfumed geraniums, daisies and thyme,” Mr Entwisle said.

“You can hear the wind whipping through the lovely bamboo canes in the garden.

“There’s the quiet calm of looking at lotus flower while sitting on a pier on central lake. It’s a wonderful place to unwind.”

Megan and Joel O’Brien walk barefoot through the new sensory garden. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the sensory garden is what Mr Entwisle jokingly calls a “walk through thyme.”

“We have constructed a walkway where we really want visitors to take off their shoes and feel the thyme beneath their feet,” he said.

The garden was also deliberately positioned at the bottom of Fern Gully — scientifically the coolest place in Melbourne.

“Fern Gully is six degrees cooler on average than Melbourne CBD and has been measured as the coolest area of Melbourne,” Mr Entwisle said.

“With summer approaching, the sensory garden has come at a perfect time for many reasons.”

The garden has been positioned at the bottom of Fern Gully, which is the coolest place in Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MELBOURNE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS MASTER PLAN 2020—2040

— Birrarung gate: a new gate that will be created along the northern border, located where the Birrarung (Yarra River) once flowed through the gardens

— Terrace gardens: The corner of Anderson St and Alexandra Ave is to be redeveloped into a new welcoming arrival space

— Arid and drylands precinct: A redesign and rebuild of the arid garden to better integrate into the overall Guilfoyle landscape

— Huntingfield lawn amphitheatre: the existing lawn will be gently profiled to become an open-air performance space

— Lakeside conservatory: Planned by the ornamental lake.