National Herbarium of New South Wales
Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust
Mrs Macquaries Road
Sydney, New South Wales 2000
Australia
Brett Summerell, Director
Email: brett.summerell@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
Dale Dixon
Email: dale.dixon@rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, est. 1816, is the oldest botanic garden and scientific institution in Australia. It is home to an outstanding collection of plants from around the world with a focus on Australia and the South Pacific. The Botanic Garden is set on Sydney Harbour, next to the Opera House. It sits at the heart of the city’s cultural domain of art galleries, museums and performing arts.
The Botanic Garden is surrounded by unfenced botanical parkland known as the Domain, which is accessible to the public 24 hours a day. Its green spaces, playing fields and harbour views play a central role in Sydney’s biggest festivals and cultural events and in the sporting life and physical fitness of the city workers and residents.
It all began in 1788 when Australia’s first farm, Farm Cove, was established by Governor Phillip. In 1816 the Botanic Gardens of Sydney was founded on this site by Governor Macquarie as part of the Governor’s Domain. Charles Fraser was appointed as the first Colonial Botanist in 1817, establishing the Botanic Gardens as the oldest scientific institution in Australia.
The National Herbarium of NSW, housed in the Robert Brown Building and built in 1982, is a major centre for Australian plant research. The extensive collection of nearly one million preserved specimens (dating back to plants collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in 1770) provide reference material for studies of our native plants, their relationships and classification. Research includes field studies, DNA sequencing and scanning electron microscopy. Ecological research involves mapping and describing plant communities and studying factors that affect their survival.
The Herbarium provides a Botanical information service, including plant identifications and a public reference collection for native plant identifications.
The Library houses one of the most extensive collections of botanical, horticultural and ecological books, magazines, videos, photographs and publications, as well as material on related topics. The Library is only available for bona fide research work and appointments should be made with the Librarian.