Table Of Contentbotanic gardens of adelaide
masterplan report
wittunga botanic garden
botanic gardens of adelaide
master plan report
wittunga botanic garden
prepared for
SA Government
Department of Environment, Water and Natural
Resources
Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
Adelaide | Mount Lofty | Wittunga
prepared by
Oxigen
Landscape Architects, Urban Designers,
Urban Planners
adelaide
98-100 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000
canberra
First Floor, Wetlands House, Fyshwick ACT 2609
Oxigen Pty Ltd
ABN 22 107 472 284
Email [email protected]
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contents
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW p4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS p5
1.0 INTRODUCTION p7 6.0 KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES p56
1.1 PURPOSE OF THE MASTER PLAN p8 6.1 GARDEN COMPOSITION p57
1.2 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT p9 6.2 VISITOR FACILITIES p62
6.3 COLLECTIONS AND INTERPRETATION p65
2.0 MASTER PLAN CONTEXT p13 6.4 MANAGEMENT p71
2.1 PURPOSE OF BOTANIC GARDENS p14
2.2 MANAGEMENT p15 7.0 STRATEGIC RESPONSES AND ACTIONS p74
2.3 VALUES p16 7.1 GARDEN COMPOSITION p75
2.4 BOTANIC GARDENS STRATEGIC PLAN p17 7.2 VISITOR FACILITIES p81
AND POLICIES 7.3 COLLECTIONS AND INTERPRETATION p87
2.5 VISITOR PROFILE p19 7.4 MANAGEMENT p91
3.0 SITE HISTORY p21 8.0 MASTER PLAN p95
3.1 PRE-EUROPEAN HISTORY p22 8.1 OVERALL PRINCIPLES p96
3.2 GARDEN DEVELOPMENT p23 8.2 MASTER PLAN p112
3.3 RECENT HISTORY p25 8.3 PROJECT PRIORITIES p113
4.0 SITE DESCRIPTION p27 APPENDIX p119
4.1 LOCATION AND SURROUNDING p28 A INDICATIVE MATERIAL PALETTE p120
LAND USE B REFERENCES p121
4.2 LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE p30
4.3 LIVING COLLECTIONS p32
4.4 TOPOGRAPHY AND SOILS p34
4.5 WATERWAYS AND DRAINAGE p36
4.6 MOVEMENT / PEDESTRIAN p38
4.7 MOVEMENT / VEHICLE p40
4.8 HERITAGE p42
4.9 SURRPOUNDING RESERVES p45
AND FACILITIES
4.10 PLANNING POLICIES AND CONTROLS p47
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executive overview
Wittunga Botanic Garden is a highly valued public asset, managed by the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
since 1965. Built around the garden structure and plant collections developed by the Ashby family,
Wittunga is a unique display of Australian and South African plant species with direct cultural
connection through their interrelated geographic zones.
The current configuration of the Garden has changed little since its completion in the late 1970’s and
the natural bush settings have matured to provide an engaging experience for visitors. Intensive
horticultural maintenance, previously required within the Garden, is unsustainable in the current and
future climate with new methodologies and innovative practices required to ensure the long term
viability of Wittunga.
This Master Plan reviews the current structure and use of the Garden and provides direction for
sustainable change that will improve accessibility and encourage greater use and appreciation of this
unique resource. Central to the recommendations within the Master Plan is the need to practice and
promote resilient use of climatically suitable plant species, water resources and natural materials.
The commissioning of this Master Plan responds to the aspirations of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
and the broader community providing long-term planning for the future of the Garden. Realisation of
key initiatives within the Master Plan will exemplify the cultural and environmental importance of
Wittunga to the community.
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acknowledgements
This Master Plan was commissioned by the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide under the direction of the
Botanic Gardens Project Team Group. The consultant team gratefully acknowledges the input and
assistance of the following people:
botanic garden staff
Stephen Forbes BGA, Executive Director
Mary Yeates BGA, Project Leader
Trevor Christensen BGA, Deputy Director
Andrew Carrick BGA, Manager , Collections and Horticulture
John Sandham BGA, Collections Development Officer
Michael Shanahan BGA, Manager, Communication, Education and Public Programs
Phillip Ainsley BGA, Manager, Knowledge and Conservation
Kate Punshon BGA, Manager, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
Tony Kanellos BGA, Cultural Collections Manager
Nicole Reynolds BGA, Events Manager
Graeme Burdett Wittunga Botanic Garden, Curator
Mark Oborn Wittunga Botanic Garden, Horticultural Supervisor
reference group
John Barrie President, Australian Plant Society, SA
Nan Davies Vice President, Blackwood Action Group
Stewart Mitchell Blackwood / Belair and District Community Association (BBDCA)
Veronica Lowe School Services Officer, Blackwood High School
David Deer Manager, Design and Technical, Mitcham Council
Ross Oke Manager, Urban Biodiversity Unit
Helena Jenkinson President, Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
Merilyn Kuchel President, Mediterranean Garden Society
Geoffrey Fuller Chief Executive Officer, Nursery & Garden Industry Association of South
Australia
Enid Robertson Resident, Sherbourne Road, Blackwood and member of the Ashby Family
Graham Hicks Sales & Marketing Manager, State Flora
Chris Daniels Professor of Urban Ecology, University of South Australia
Christine Elstob Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium
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1.0 introduction
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1.1 purpose of the masterplan
The purpose of this Master Plan for the Guided by the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
Wittunga Botanic Garden is to outline the future Strategic Plan and operating instructions, the
direction for the operation and function of the master plan will:
Garden.
Improvements to the Garden will reflect a desire
• Provide a framework and staged directions
to promote and educate the community about
for future improvements to Wittunga
sustainable horticulture. Coupled with this the
Botanic Garden;
master plan, in time, will provide improved
public facilities and ‘open up’ the Garden to the • Reflect the legislation outlined in the
community. Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Act
(1978) and Regulations (2007);
Opened to the public in 1975, the Wittunga
Botanic Garden is one of the three gardens • Reflect the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and
managed by the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide State Herbarium Strategic Plan;
(BGA), the others being the Adelaide Botanic
• Illustrate achievable outcomes for Wittunga
Garden and the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.
Botanic Garden;
Originally a farming property owned and
• Identify future projects and priorities;
operated by the Ashby family, Wittunga is
recognised for its collection of southern • Provide a basis for infrastructure planning
Australian and South African plant species, with and funding.
its setting providing a backdrop for recreation
and appreciation of the collection.
Wittunga also has a fascinating history of
perseverance, experimentation and innovation
that adds an important cultural layer to the
Garden and meaning to the local community.
After taking over the Garden in 1965, the period
to 1975 was spent developing and implementing
a garden design for Wittunga in readiness for
opening to the public. Modifications and
improvements have occurred incrementally
since then but a formal master plan for the
Garden has never been set in place.
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1.2 structure of the report
The Master Plan Report is divided into eight sections, with an appendix, and follows a logical
progression of research and analysis, determination of key issues and objectives, proposed strategic
responses and associated actions, through to the development and presentation of the master plan.
The Report is organised in the following sequence:
section 1: introduction section 7: strategic responses and
actions
• Defines the purpose of the Master Plan
Report. • Outlines the strategic direction for the
master plan. Both section 6 and 7 are
divided into four categories, Garden
section 2: master plan context Composition, Visitor Facilities, Collections
and Interpretation and Management. These
• Provides an overview of plans and policies
categories are broken down into
that provide direction for the management
subcategories, each with an end objective
of the Garden.
and action.
section 3: site history
section 8: wittunga botanic garden
• Provides insight into the history and master plan
development of Wittunga, from mixed use
• Illustrates the master plan and the layers
farm to Botanic Garden.
comprising it together with detail of the
Garden ‘precincts’ and project priorities.
section 4: site description
• Contains site analysis of the Wittunga appendix:
Botanic Garden including location and
• Includes an Indicative Materials Palette and
surrounding land use, topographical
References used in the report.
structure, heritage and existing
infrastructure, water collection, movement Abbreviations used within the report include the
and the living collections. following:
• BGA - Botanic Gardens of Adelaide
section 5: guiding principles • DEWNR - Department of Environment,
Water and Natural Resources.
• Determines the principles which guide the
direction of the master plan. • UBU - Urban Biodiversity Unit
• DPTI - Department of Planning, Transport
and Infrastructure.
section 6: key issues and objectives
• Outlines issues and opportunities
informing the master plan.
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1.2 structure of the report
process
The Master Plan has been developed through a
detailed program of consultation with the
Botanic Gardens of Adelaide Board,
Management and Staff.
Individual and group meetings have been held
with staff on and off site throughout the master
planning process to gain a thorough
understanding of the unique qualities of
Wittunga.
A Reference Group, comprising a broad range of
stakeholders, has been consulted at formal
meetings and presentations of the Master Plan.
In addition, informal meetings and
correspondence with individual members of the
Group have added depth to the responses and
ensured information has been conveyed.
Draft Master Plan Reports were issued to the
management and staff of the Botanic Gardens of
Adelaide for review and comment and also
distributed to the Reference Group for their
response.
The Master Plan was released electronically on
the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide website for
public consultation and distributed throughout
the community by the Reference Group. The
feedback provided invaluable knowledge and
insight to ensure the Master Plan conclusively
addresses the current and future needs of
Wittunga.
The completed Master Plan provides
considered, sustainable directions for Wittunga
Botanic Garden that will incrementally improve
and define a most-valued cultural asset.
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