Nestled quietly in the back streets of Shoalhaven Heads is a surprisingly lush, green oasis - the Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic Garden.
Found! An unexpected green oasis
The Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic Garden showcases a large range of native trees and plants of Australia, including trees and shrubs from tropical Queensland down to Tasmania and wildflowers from the Victorian, NSW and Tasmanian highland regions. A West Australian native plants section is also being developed.
A delightful garden for the community to enjoy
Located in Celia Parade, opposite the Men's Shed, I came across this delightful garden while on a casual bike ride around the area. It is quite obviously a labour of love as it is a beautiful and well-maintained space containing a number of different garden sections, with plants labelled and identified by signage.
It is interesting to learn that the garden has been developed and maintained by volunteers from the Shoalhaven Heads community. Officially opened in April 2011, (and originally known as the Curtis Park Arboretum), the garden now boasts hundreds of plants endemic to eastern and western Australia. The aim of the garden is to encourage the use of native plants in suburban gardens by showing what can be grown in Shoalhaven Heads and the types of plants that grow well in this area.
Bangalay Gum
The garden features an attractive formal entry on Celia Parade set amongst the wildflowers and as you enter you will notice the enormous Bangalay Gum directly in front of you. To the left of the formal entry is the Bush Tucker Garden which contains a number of edible plants, usually found from Queensland to the Illawarra, such as native ginger, mulberry and elderberry, Illawarra and Davidsons plum and Midgen berry.
There are a number of Wollemi Pines in the garden
In the south-west corner of the garden, you will find the walk-through fernery as well as palms, orchids and epiphytes. While in the north-west corner there are native grasses and grass trees, grevilleas, Wollemi Pines, banksias and waratahs.
On the eastern side of the park is the Western Australia garden featuring plants from the south and south-west corner of Western Australia.
Explore the many interesting paths
Within the garden, there are many little paths to follow and you will find plenty of other interesting features along the way including various sculptures, an interactive water feature, a sundial and seating. There is also a large sign containing information about the birds which visit the garden.
Kids will love the interactive water feature
One of the attractive sculptures featured in the garden
Visitors are encouraged to take a self-guided walk through the garden which will take around 30 minutes. A Self-Guided Tour brochure is available from the Information Box located near the formal entry.
Self-guided tour brochures are available
Rubbish bins are provided at the formal entry on Celia Parade and toilets are located at the southern end of the park, adjacent to the preschool.
The Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic Garden is a lovely place to visit and a wonderful asset to the community and its dedicated volunteers. Entry is free and it can be viewed seven days a week.
Shoalhaven Heads is located approximately 160 kilometres south of Sydney, and approximately 18 kilometres north of Nowra.
To keep up to date on developments in the garden or for additional information check out the
Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic Garden Facebook page here.
