Cairns Botanic Gardens was established in 1877. Since then, the gardens have gone through many stages of development and are now considered by many to be Australia’s premier tropical botanic garden.

Located in the suburb of Edge Hill, 6 km north of the city centre, the Cairns Botanic Gardens precinct covers over 40 hectares and is comprised of several sites, including the heritage listed Flecker Garden and Tanks Arts Centre, Gondwanan Evolution Garden, Fitzalan Garden, Centenary Lakes site and an extensive area of natural vegetation, such as lowland tropical swamp forest and mangroves.

The 2.35 hectare Flecker Garden is the focal point of the precinct. Plantings in this garden focus on the flora of the wet tropical regions of the world, with an emphasis on collections from Southeast Asia, Oceania and Far North Queensland. The gardens are renowned for their extensive collections of palms, heliconias, gingers, trees, and useful indigenous plants. The Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory is located in the centre of Flecker Garden and displays collections of orchids, amorphophallus (corpse flower), palms, carnivorous plants, ant plants, tassel ferns, and many other tropical herbaceous plants. 

The displays in Flecker Garden are supported by those in Fitzalan Garden (exotic palms and trees), Gondwanan Evolution Garden (tress native to Far North Queensland) and the wetland vegetation of the Centenary Lakes area.

Cairns Botanic Gardens supports a range of botanical and environmental research projects undertaken by scientists from around the world. The living collection continues to evolve, with a growing emphasis on native species and those from Oceania. It is one of the top visitor attractions in Far North Queensland and one of Australia’s most loved botanic gardens.

Visit https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/experience-cairns/botanic-gardens for more details.