Warrnambool Botanic Gardens

Warrnambool Botanic Gardens are a timeless and tranquil setting for weddings, picnics, peaceful walks and the many guided tours and special events hosted throughout the year. Set on 20 acres of lush parkland just a short walk north of Warrnambool’s CBD, the gardens feature hundreds of native and exotic trees, ferns, flowers and other plant species. Warrnambool Botanic Gardens are also home to a significant collection of historic structures, including an original sandstone shed once used by the garden’s first curator Charles Scoborio, now the headquarters of the Friends of the Gardens. Other highlights include the naval cannon – one of 15 used to defend Victoria’s coastline in the 1800s, a band rotunda, ornamental lake and stone bridge. The gardens were designed in 1877 by Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens director William R Guilfoyle. At that time, the area was heavily timbered with a dense undergrowth of scrub, ferns and tussock grass. Guilfoyle’s plans saw the land transformed into impressive gardens of his classic style - wide curving paths, large sweeping lawns dotted with specimen trees, glimpses of water, dense shrubberies displaying a rich variety of plants and focal points composed of plants of dramatic form and colour such as Doryanthes, Palms and Bamboos. By the end of the century additional attractions had been included: a fountain with gold and silver fish, a fernery, rockeries, several aviaries and a number of animals such as monkeys, kangaroos, wallabies and guinea pigs. The aviaries of birds and the collection of animals have long since disappeared, but the restored fountain and fernery continues to delight. A trip to Warrnambool is not complete without a visit to the delightful Warrnambool Botanic Gardens.