Buninyong Botanic Gardens
Established in the 1860s around a natural spring, the two hectare Buninyong Botanic Gardens were designed with the support of the director of the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens, Ferdinand Von Mueller. They have a splendid collection of mature trees and plants that are listed on the National Trust of Australia's (Victoria) Register of Significant Trees.
The gardens also contain a number of historical features, including a Courthouse and Police Cottage which date from 1853 and the Queen Victoria Rotunda built in 1901. The former 19th century swimming baths on the site have been elegantly transformed into a courtyard garden. More contemporary amendments to the gardens include playground equipment and electric barbecues.
Adjacent to the Buninyong Botanic Gardens is The Gong (not to be confused with Gong Gong Reservoir Park). This 2 hectare space contains a disused reservoir and an established and young arboretum collection of exotic trees.
Buninyong's peaceful Botanic Gardens have an interesting link to Melbourne's own Royal Botanic Gardens. When ten acres of land were reserved in Scott Street in 1861, many specimens of trees and plants were donated by the famous Ferdinand von Mueller of the Melbourne gardens.
With the upper and lower sections divided by an embankment on Cornish Street, the Botanic Gardens have many interesting features. The upper section centres on the small lake, known as the Gong, with walking paths leading up the hill towards the historic Catholic Church.
On the southern side of the Gong can be seen the old bluestone brewery where beer was brewed from 1855 to 1873.
The lower gardens feature towering trees, graceful shrubs and quiet walkways, plus an ornamental pool and island, the historic Victoria rotunda (erected as a memorial to Queen Victoria following her death in 1901), and an old swimming pool formerly fed by the spring waters of the Gong and now converted into sunken gardens. In the southeast-corner, there is the restored old sandstone Courthouse, now the home of the community group Friends of Buninyong Botanic Gardens.
Review:
The Gardens are a pleasant place to have a picnic or short walk.
There is a basic playground, shaded tables, huge shelter with seats, BBQ, pond and some historical areas (Old Baths, Historic Courthouse, Miners Court from 1850, Rotunda, Caretakers Cottage Site and Historic Bowling Club)
There are mainly trees (with labels) with not too many flowering plants. The lower level is more formal while across the road (Cornish Street), is the less formal Gong Reserve with a lake which has a variety of waterbirds, unshaded seat, windmill and an example of dry stone walling.
Photos:
Location
Cnr Cornish Street and Scott Street, Buninyong 3357 View Map
