Queens Gardens, Townsville
Encyclopedia
Queens Gardens are one of three botanical gardens of Townsville, Queensland
. Queens Gardens are located in the suburb of North Ward
, at the base of Castle Hill, near to both the city centre and The Strand
beachside park. They have been called Townsville's finest park.
s. The garden is divided into quadrants, each with a central fountain. Special areas include a formal rose garden, the Herb Society's garden, the annuals garden beds, the 2 small hedge maze
s, a rainforest walk and the black bean
(also known as Moreton Bay chestnuts) avenue. There is also a small aviary featuring peacocks, lorikeets and sulfur-crested cockatoo
s.
The gardens were formally established in 1870, and known at that time as the Botanical Gardens Reserve. They represented an acclimatisation garden, part of the colonial town's agricultural planning for both local food supply and development of farming industry. Initially 40.5 hectares (100 acres) of land was set aside for a variety of exotic species, including cocoa, African oil palms and mangoes. Some of the hoop pines
and black beans
(Castanospermum australe
) planted at that time are still growing today and may be the oldest cultivated specimens in Australia.
In the late nineteenth century this industrious garden began its transformation into a formal recreational park. This was briefly interrupted during World War Two when Queens Gardens acted as a military base for 100,000 American soldiers. The gardens were extensively redesigned in 1959 by Mr. Alan Wilson (Superintendent of Parks) who also designed Townsville's arboretum, Anderson Gardens. Due to the needs of the growing city for central sporting grounds and residential development, the gardens are currently one tenth their original size.
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
. Queens Gardens are located in the suburb of North Ward
North Ward, Queensland
North Ward, is a suburb in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. North Ward is home to the beachside area known as The Strand, which overlooks Magnetic Island...
, at the base of Castle Hill, near to both the city centre and The Strand
The Strand, Townsville
The Strand is a seaside foreshore located in Townsville, Australia. It is located in the suburb of North Ward. The Strand has a view of the Port of Townsville and Magnetic Island, as well as to Cape Cleveland...
beachside park. They have been called Townsville's finest park.
Layout
The park covers over 4 hectareHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s. The garden is divided into quadrants, each with a central fountain. Special areas include a formal rose garden, the Herb Society's garden, the annuals garden beds, the 2 small hedge maze
Hedge Maze
A hedge maze is an outdoor garden maze or labyrinth in which the "walls" or dividers between passages are made of vertical hedges.-History:...
s, a rainforest walk and the black bean
Castanospermum
Castanospermum australe , the only species in the genus Castanospermum, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the east coast of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, and to the Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.-Growth:It is a large evergreen tree growing to ...
(also known as Moreton Bay chestnuts) avenue. There is also a small aviary featuring peacocks, lorikeets and sulfur-crested cockatoo
Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
s.
History
Araucaria cunninghamii
Araucaria cunninghamii is a species of Araucaria known as Moreton Bay Pine, or Hoop Pine. Other less commonly used names include Colonial Pine, Richmond River Pine, Queensland Pine, Alloa, Ningwik, or Pien, the wood is sometimes called Arakaria)...
and black beans
Castanospermum
Castanospermum australe , the only species in the genus Castanospermum, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the east coast of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, and to the Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.-Growth:It is a large evergreen tree growing to ...
(Castanospermum australe
Castanospermum
Castanospermum australe , the only species in the genus Castanospermum, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the east coast of Australia in Queensland and New South Wales, and to the Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.-Growth:It is a large evergreen tree growing to ...
) planted at that time are still growing today and may be the oldest cultivated specimens in Australia.
In the late nineteenth century this industrious garden began its transformation into a formal recreational park. This was briefly interrupted during World War Two when Queens Gardens acted as a military base for 100,000 American soldiers. The gardens were extensively redesigned in 1959 by Mr. Alan Wilson (Superintendent of Parks) who also designed Townsville's arboretum, Anderson Gardens. Due to the needs of the growing city for central sporting grounds and residential development, the gardens are currently one tenth their original size.
See also
There are two other botanical gardens in Townsville:- Anderson Park, Townsville
- The Palmetum, TownsvilleThe Palmetum, TownsvilleThe Palmetum is one of three botanical gardens of Townsville, Queensland. The Palmetum are located in the suburb of Annandale, near the Ross River, James Cook University and the Townsville Hospital.-Gardens:...