The primary James Cook University living collection is found on our Townsville, QLD campus, 386Ha at the base of Mount Stuart. Additional collections are held across our various other campuses, namely in Cairns, Daintree, Orpheus Island and Fletcherview Station.
The Townsville collection is spread across 100Ha of developed campus, featuring ponds, ecosystem gardens and a large array of threatened flora, as well as over 280Ha of bushland, mixed between 5 dominant regional ecosystems.
The primary focus within the collection is based around the tropics, with emphasis on rare and unique species. Major collections held include the Cycad Collection, Myrtle Rust Initiative and the Threatened Species Program. The collections are used in teaching, learning and research by our staff and students, as well as supplying local landcare and conservation bodies of NQ. Each new garden added to campus is focused around our seven collection principles, Education and Research, Connection to Country, Cultural Significance, Conservation, Mental Health, Sustainability and Aestetics.
These collections are open to the public and are often used by local schools for interactive learning experiences. In addition, the collection and the team who manage it are involved in various specialist conservation groups, including programs under the IUCN, as well as Federal and State Governments.
