Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic Garden (SHNBG) displays a wide range of Australian native plants, with over 500 species now well established. Natives are our focus, including about 80 species that are vulnerable, threatened or critically endangered. As well as plants that are endemic to the broader Shoalhaven region, they include specimens from Queensland down to Tasmania and across to Western Australia.
By embracing the Hortis 360 Platform, SHNBG has been able to bring online the comprehensive database of our rich plant collection. This can be accessed by anyone from anywhere in the world. Just go to our website www.shnbotanicgarden.org and follow the links.
Located at Shoalhaven Heads (2 hours south of Sydney, near Nowra) SHNBG is a destination well worth visiting when travelling the NSW South Coast. The Botanic Garden is always open during daylight hours, for 365 days a year, and admission is free. Visiting groups may wish to book a guided tour through secretary@shnbotanicgarden.org.
Most of the 1-hectare site is on relatively flat ground that facilitates easy access, but people with mobility issues will need to take extra care in the smaller sloped area. In time this compact Botanic Park will be linked to a 2-km Botanic Walk along the nearby Shoalhaven River where endemic natives can be identified and expanded with additional plantings.
This Botanic Garden is a volunteer-driven community project developed in a small council reserve. A volunteer Parkcare Group under the auspices of Shoalhaven City Council was initiated in 2009. Additionally, registration as an Incorporated Association in 2010 has enabled the volunteers to properly manage their affairs and to undertake significant fundraising. New volunteers are always very welcome – whether you can offer special horticultural talents or just wish to learn and be involved.
Our primary objectives are:
- to grow and display at Shoalhaven Heads a wide range of Australian native plants that demonstrate what can be grown in our area and contribute to the conservation of rare and endangered species.
- to promote botanic education and be a place where people can learn about Australia’s wonderful native flora, with extensive identification signage providing a springboard for inquiring minds.
- to be a welcoming park for people’s enjoyment and relaxation – for our local community and for the many visitors from broader afield.
Contact details:
9 Celia Parade, Shoalhaven Heads NSW 2535.
W: www.shnbotanicgarden.org / E: secretary@shnbotanicgarden.org / P: 0429 012 796.
