Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Governance The gardens are governed under the Royal Botanic Gardens Act 1991 by the Royal Botanic Gardens Board, In 1857 the first director was Ferdinand von Mueller, who created the National Herbarium of Victoria and brought in many plants. 21st century In June 2015 the Gardens brought together the elements of the organisation under the name Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, incorporating Melbourne Gardens, Cranbourne Gardens, the National Herbarium of Victoria and the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology. ==Horticulture==

Living collections at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne include: • Aotearoa New Zealand • Araucariaceae • Australian Forest Walk • Australian Rare and Threatened Species • Cacti and Succulent • Camellia • Climate Ready Rose Collection • Cycad • Eucalypt • Fern Gully • Gardens House • Grey Garden • Guilfoyle's Volcano • Herb and Medicinal • The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden • Lower Yarra Rivver Habitat • North American Drylands • Palm • Perennial Border • Quercus • Southern Africa • Southern China • Terrestrial Orchid Collection ==Ecology==

The gardens include a mixture of native and non-native vegetation which invariably hosts a diverse range of both native and non-native fauna. The gardens host over 10,000 floral species, the majority being non-native species. The gardens were the origin from which many introduced species spread throughout south-eastern Australia as seeds were traded between early European botanists in the mid-19th century, studying the Australian flora. Native vegetation From the establishment of the gardens in 1846, much of the native vegetation was removed as botanists such as Baron Von Mueller planted a range of species from around the world. While initially much of the native wetlands and swamplands in the gardens were left, around the turn of the 20th century these were re-landscaped to create the Ornamental Lake. Despite this, however, there are some large eucalypts remaining including the prominent Separation Tree, a 300-year-old river red gum, under which Victoria was declared a separate colony. In August 2010 the Separation Tree was attacked by vandals and then attacked again in 2013, by 2015 it was dead and removal of the canopy and branches commenced. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne focus solely on Australian native plants. Non-native traditional gardens The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne were initially intended to be a horticultural exhibition for the public to enjoy, many seeds were traded between early European botanists such as Arthur and Von Mueller, who planted non-native species. The Queen and her grandfather, Dame Nellie Melba and Paderewski contributed plantings on occasions throughout the history of the gardens. Plant science Since its earliest days, the Royal Botanic Gardens is involved in plant research and identification. This is done primarily through the National Herbarium of Victoria, which is based at the Gardens. The Herbarium is also home to the State Botanical Collection, which includes over 1.5 million dried plant specimens, and an extensive collection of books, journals and artworks. Research findings are published in the journal Muelleria, which is a scientific representation of the work done in the Gardens in any one year. More recently, the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology has been established to look at plants that grow in urban environments specifically. ==Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden==

The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden is designed as a discovery area for children of all ages and abilities. The Ian Potter Children's Garden, named for the Ian Potter Foundation, is based in South Yarra, off the main site. This area is closed for two months of the year from the end of the Victorian July school holidays for rest and maintenance. In 2004 or 2005 The Magic Pudding sculpture, by Louis Laumen, was unveiled in the garden. The concept for the garden was developed by Simon H. Warrender (son of Simon George Warrender and Pamela Warrender), who also commissioned the sculpture, through Committee for Melbourne's Future Focus Group, which was founded by Pamela. Simon Warrender announced the establishment of the annual prizes to be awarded by his Melbourne Prize Trust at the unveiling. ==The Tan==

Outside the exterior fence of the Royal Botanic Gardens is a jogging loop known as the Tan Track or simply the Tan. It was built in the 1900s as a tanbark horse riding track; before later being converted for jogging and surfaced with a fine tan-coloured gravel, except along Anderson St which is paved. Clocks and distance markers were installed in 2011, and the track is the most well-known and well-used jogging track in Melbourne. ==Gallery==

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Eastern Lawn 2018.jpg|Eastern Lawn Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Fern Gully 2017.jpg|Fern Gully Image:Melb botanical gardens.jpg|A section of the gardens in winter Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Oak Lawn 2017.jpg|Oak Lawn Image:BGM Herb Garden.jpg|The Herb Garden Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne The Terrace 2017.jpg|The Terrace Restaurant Image:Royal Botanic Gardens (Entrance Gate).jpg|The main entrance gate Image:Plan_of_the_Government_House_reserve_Botanic_Garden_and_its_Domain_indicating_the_principal_plantations%2C_Ernst_Bernhard_Heyne%2C_1825_-_1881.jpg | Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne ==References==