Nursery History

The concept of Canberra as a garden city has always been an important aspect of the overall program for the National Capital's development. Early in the city's history it was realised that trees and shrubs would have to be raised locally if the garden city concept was to be achieved.

Yarralumla Nursery exerts an influence on Canberra's scenic beauty far in excess of its size. Through the propagation of many millions of trees and shrubs subsequently planted in the National Capital, it deserves credit for much of the charm of the city's streets, parks and private gardens.

• Origins
• Functions
• Plantings
• Research
• Highlights
• Key Landmarks

Origins

The first government Nursery was established in about 1911 on three acres of sandy alluvial soil at Acton on the site of the National Museum and the first trials to establish suitable species were planted there during 1912 and 1913.

Thomas Weston, the first Superintendent, recommended that the Nursery move to Yarralumla, where work was started in 1914, the first plant being produced in 1916. The production Nursery occupied more than 28 hectares (70 acres). Until the early 1970s some of this area was used for the Parks and Gardens research department and the Department of Health plants quarantine. Another 130 hectares (330 acres) was to be used for various permanent plantings. All of this larger area became part of Westbourne Woods (now Royal Canberra Golf course) or Weston Park.

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Functions

The chief roles were to:

• propagate and supply plants for public landscaping in Canberra, tenants and owners of houses in Canberra and rural leases
• conduct research into plants suitable for the region
• supply potted plants and cut flowers on request for government institutions in Canberra
• supply seed and plant material to research institutions and government nurseries outside Canberra.

As the Nursery grew it became a large and fundamental part of Parks and Gardens and the development of Canberra as a whole.

Yarralumla Nursery is now operated by the ACT Government as a self funded business enterprise and comprises two sites: 10 hectares (25 acres) at Yarralumla where plants are propagated, wholesale plants are dispatched and where the retail garden centre serves the general public; and 21 hectares (52 acres) at the Pialligo annex where deciduous trees are propagated and grown in-ground.

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Plantings

Many of the mature trees seen around the Nursery date back to experimental planting by Thomas Weston including the first results of the hybridisation of Eucalyptus species. The windbreaks and entrance borders were planted between 1915 and 1920. An experimental orchard with a large range of varieties was planted in 1916-17. The heritage-listed "English Garden" forms a large part of what is now the southern boundary of the Nursery.

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Research

Both Thomas Weston and Lindsay Pryor had policies for actively seeking seed and plant material for trials to establish which plants would be most likely to succeed in the Canberra's harsh climatic and soil conditions. Although early figures do not exactly reflect the situation there has been a steady increase in both the numbers and percentage of native species grown at the Nursery. As much material as was available was collected locally but the Nursery was also in regular contact, and exchanged material, with a number of interstate and international institutions, including commercial nurseries, government and municipal nurseries such as forestry commissions, overseas collections such as botanical gardens and private collectors.

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Highlights

• The number of people working at Yarralumla Nursery peaked at 70 in the 1940's. The nursery now has 25 permanent staff.
• It is estimated that Yarralumla Nursery has grown 50 million plants in its 90 year history. At present, 500,000 plants are being produced each year. About 1,500 species are propagated of which approximately 50% are Australian natives and 50% are exotic.
• In the late 1970s the nursery pioneered the direct sowing of Australian Trees (principally Eucalypts) into specially designed tubes. This process has now developed into a state of the art process using specially designed containers that produce a stable, high quality root system. The nursery now produces approximately 80 species by this technique. Many of these are propagated each year especially for Landcare groups and rural plantings.
• Customers of the nursery now include the general public, new home owners (plant issue), private contractors, rural land holders, state Governments and councils and the ACT Government.

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Key Landmarks

• In 1991, the nursery was placed on the interim register of the National Estate joining Westbourne Woods in recognition of its role in beautifying Canberra.
• In 1993, the nursery boundary was relocated to place the English Garden outside in the general parkland of Weston Park.
• In 1995 Yarralumla Nursery became the second nursery in Australia to achieve certification as a Quality Assured Company to the International Standard ISO 9002.
• In 1996 the nursery underwent a major restructure to improve its efficiency and maximise opportunities to expand into new markets.
• In 1998 the nursery introduced the first line of a series of rare and threatened Australian species. Some of these have been released in conjunction with the Australian National Botanic Gardens, The Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC) and the Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens. The growing and sale of these plants not only serves to promote awareness of rare and endangered species but also assists in funding projects to help preserve them by royalties paid to the ANPC and Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens.

• 1998 also saw the beginning of the monthly Australian Plants Market and Information Day. On this day a number of local Australian plant growers can be found at the nursery selling their specialist lines and offering free advice. This market heralded the "Plants Local to the ACT Region" section of the Garden Centre.
• In 2000, the nursery exported a number of Australian species to the European Market. This has continued with a large order of Eucalypts in 2001.
• Since the inception of Floriade, Canberra's annual flower festival, the nursery has coordinated the purchase and supply of much of the plant material used each spring.
• In 2000, Yarralumla Nursery was awarded "Bush Friendly" status by the ACT Government for being pro-active in removing plants identified as environmental weeds from its plant list since the early 1990s.
• In 2001, Yarralumla Nursery increased the number of its apprentices to eight as part of its commitment to serving as a valuable training ground for horticultural apprentices.
• In 2001, the Nursery won the Outstanding Employer of a Woman in a Non-Traditional Vocation at the ACT Training Excellence Awards.

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