Art imitates our living collection

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is hosting a range of beautiful artworks as part of the Threatened Species Children’s Art Competition. Visit the exhibition at Fig Tree Lawn and find the featured plants using our new interactive Garden Explorer map.

At the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney we have been studying and documenting plant life for over 200 years. With over 1,000 threatened plants and animals in NSW alone, we are passionate about the conservation and horticulture of Australian plants. A number of rare plants can be found right here in the Garden in the middle of the city, including the famous Wollemi Pine. 

This year children across NSW and the ACT have shared their insight and creativity through the Threatened Species Children's Art Competition. From 8 to 23 September the finalists’ artworks will be exhibited in a beautiful habourside location within the Garden, the Children’s Fig Tree in Fig Tree Lawn. The art competition is designed to encourage both the artists and audience to explore their feelings about our vanishing native species.
 

Start exploring 

After visiting the exhibition, why not venture a little further into the Garden and see these important and beautiful plants for yourself with the help of Garden Explorer.

An Australian first, Garden Explorer is an interactive map of the plants within the Royal Botanic Garden. It is loaded with photos and information, and a smart search function to identify any plants you see, or guide you to specific plants.

Here are some gorgeous and important plants that you can as part of the Threatened Species Children's Art Competition, and find within our living collection using Garden Explorer.

Wollemia nobilis

One of our most famous residents, we have eight Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) in four locations around the Garden. Click here to see the locations in Garden Explorer, including the very first planted Wollemi Pine, which marks the spot of the Garden’s first Wishing Tree (see Bed 44 on the map).

Alloxylon pinnatum

The shiny green leaves and pinkish-red flowers of the Dorrigo Waratah (scientific name Alloxylon pinnatum) can be found at three locations across the Royal Botanic Garden. Find it online and then look for it as you make your way between The Calyx and the Children’s Fig.

Vincentia banksia

The only place you will spot the critically endangered Vincentia banksia in central Sydney is in a piece of art below the Children’s Fig. One of Australia’s rarest banksia, it’s bright colours have only been found in a single population near Jervis Bay. However, if you were to type “Vincentia banksia” into the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan Garden Explorer you could soon be on your way to seeing this NSW native for yourself.

Share your journey

Once you’ve located these beautiful and rare species in the Garden why not take a photo and tag us on Instagram using #botanicsydney (or #australianbotanicgarden if you’ve gone in search of Vincentia banksia) – we’d love to hear about your Garden Explorer adventure.