Part of the award-winning architecture at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.
THE local community is gearing up for the much-anticipated opening of the Australian Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne this weekend.
A performance by local artists and schoolchildren will awaken the Australian Garden this Sunday following the official opening by Premier Steve Bracks.
Celebrations will feature the Bunjil Dance Group, Two Bays Choir, Devon Meadows Primary School and local residents.
Veteran worker in the community cultural development field Ian Cuming said the opening performance would include dance, song, theatre and puppetry to combine indigenous and contemporary culture.
“We’ve created a performance which is joyful, welcoming and hopeful, something which truly reflects the Australian Garden and all that it stands for,” Mr Cuming said.
Ninety students from Devon Meadows Primary School have been working steadily over past weeks to create 12 huge puppets that will be centre stage in the opening, including a helmeted honeyeater, leadbetter possum, a vast eagle and a bandicoot.
Guided tours, bands, children’s activities and entertainment for all the family will fill the rest of the day.
The 26-hectare Australian Garden has transformed an old mine site into a place of beauty with the first 11 hectares to be opened this Sunday.
Features include a timber-clad visitor centre, rock pool waterway, escarpment wall, red sand garden, eucalypt walk and exhibition gardens.
Head coordinator of customer service at the Australian Garden Lynn Klavins said it was amazing to think that 150 years after the Royal Botanic Gardens in South Yarra opened, Cranbourne was opening its own new garden.
The Australian Garden was designed as a place where visitors could immerse themselves in Australian flora, landscape, art and architecture.
The garden celebrates the diversity of Australian plants, explores the influence of plants and landscapes on indigenous and European cultures, and demonstrates sustainable practices for home gardeners.
The second and final stage of the garden, covering about 15 hectares, is planned to commence later in the year and will take about three years to design and construct.
This section will include additional major landscape features such as a lake, more display gardens, artworks, an events space, and extended educational and visitor facilities.
The Australian Garden will open on Sunday at 10.30am for an 11am start with free entry.
Once opened, entry for adults will be $9, concession $6.75 and children will be free.
Normal opening hours will be 9am to 5pm daily.
A complete list of programs will be available at www.rbg.vic.gov.au/australian_garden.
For information or bookings call 5990 2245.
