The Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium recognise South Australia's Aboriginal people as the traditional owners of the state's lands, water, plants and animals - commonly known as Country.
We observe that Country is central to the social, cultural and spiritual lives of Aboriginal people.
We will build respectful and honest relationships through our work and develop better awareness of Aboriginal history, knowledge and culture.
There have been countless changes to Adelaide Botanic Garden since it opened to the public on 4 October 1857. In that time we’ve seen ten directors, the construction and demolition of many buildings, and constant additions to its living collections.
While Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is the younger sibling of Adelaide (opened 1857) and Wittunga (1975) Botanic Gardens, its history is no less rich and varied!
Wittunga was established as a private home by English-born estate agent and naturalist Edwin Ashby (1861-1941) in 1902, and was based on a formal English design. The property originally had extensive apple and pear orchards along with cattle, sheep and pigs.
