1984-85

Department of Territories and Local Government

NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS

Annual Report 1984-1985

National Botanic Gardens

The functions of the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) are to collect, study and display a national collection of living and herbarium specimens of Australian native plants and related species for scientific research, education, conservation and public enjoyment.

The Gardens occupy 90 ha on the slopes of Black Mountain in Canberra, with an 80 ha annexe in the Jervis Bay Territory on Australia’s eastern coast. The Gardens were opened in 1970 and now contain about 6500 species of living plants.

There were 400 500 visitors to the Gardens in Canberra in 1984-85 and 11,500 to the Jervis Bay Annexe (350,000 in Canberra and 8,000 in the Jervis Bay Annexe in 1983-84.

Significant Events

The most significant event for the year was the bush fire on the night of 20 December which burnt out the entire extension of the Gardens and about a hectare on the existing site. Only prompt action by Gardens’ staff, the ACT Bush Fire Council and the ACT Fire Brigade assisted by the time of day and a change in the weather prevented major damage to the collections and facilities.

Redevelopment of the front entrance was completed and the terraces were planted with a variety of species in early summer. The Minister for Territories, Mr Gordon Scholes, officially opened the new entrance on 29 January 1985 and raised the Australian flag at the Gardens for the first time.

In continuing the Gardens’ participation in the International Garden Festival, Mr G Butler returned to Liverpool, United Kingdom to rejuvenate the Australian Gardens and to give information to people visiting the Gardens during Australia Week in August. The Gardens looked excellent for this week with over 70 species and varieties in flower in the outdoor garden. The Minister for Home Affairs and Environment, Mr Barry Cohen, attended the ceremony to mark the beginning of Australia Week. At the end of the Festival in October, Australia was awarded two gold medallions, one for overall excellence of the outdoor garden and one for the display erected in the festival hall for Australia Week. A gold medallion was also awarded for the rainforest display staged in the international pavilion glasshouse.

A second series of Australian native plant poster kits was produced in conjunction with Kodak ( Australasia) Pty Ltd. The posters and associated educational material for schools were launched by Mr Scholes on 25 March 1985. The posters feature Beaufortia squarrosa (sand heath bottlebrush), Epacris impressa (pink heath) and Billardiera bicolor (painted apple-berry) photographed by a member of the Gardens staff, Mr. M. Fagg. The associated education material and drawings were prepared by Mrs A Boden and Mrs F Davies (also of the Gardens) respectively.

Administration and policy

There was a continuation of the administrative reorganisation which created the Parks and Conservation Service in 1983-84. An administration unit was fully established late in the year with consequential benefits in budgeting and financial control to be realised in 1985-86.

During the year a development subsection of the National Collections Section was formed to plan and coordinate further development of the Gardens.

Developments and improvements

Consultants were engaged by the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) to prepare a development plan for the Gardens in Canberra aimed at guiding the integrated development of the existing Gardens and the proposed extension for the next 10 years.

Design for carpark extensions was carried out and work commenced to give an initial increase of 50 car parking spaces.

The Department of Housing and Construction examined and reported on the water supply to the Gardens. A need to upgrade and rationalise the water supply was identified and work commenced on Stage 1 including an additional main and metering equipment. Additional hydrants were also installed to improve firefighting capacity.

A new and much larger potting facility was completed at the Nursery providing acceptable working conditions for staff and much better conditions for plants.

Work continued on the construction of the new Visitor Information Centre due for completion in August and to be opened in November 1985. The Centre will include exhibition rooms, a bookshop, public access herbarium and photograph collections, a lecture theatre and public toilets. New administrative offices will be included and major alterations to the Botany Building will provide better accommodation for the Plant Sciences Library.

Arrangements for the operation of the bookshop have yet to be resolved, but planning for displays in the exhibition areas and facilities for the lecture theatre is progressing satisfactorily.

Employment

The Gardens has a total staff of 85 of whom 10 are professional, 25 technical, eight administrative clerical, and keyboard operators, and 42 are exempt employees in the gardening and other trade areas (Appendix 1).

Dr R Ellyard left the Gardens in June to take up a teaching position at the Department of Production Horticulture, Woden College of Technical and Further Education. During his nine years at the Gardens he was largely instrumental in establishing and overseeing the Horticultural research subsection.

Several positions remained vacant for extended periods during the year due to delays in recruitment and insufficient average operative staff level coverage.

The reduction in the number of gardening staff has resulted in 25% of the planted area of the Gardens being withdrawn from maintenance.

During the year 30 apprentices worked at the Gardens for periods of one or two months as part of the Land Management Branch Apprenticeship Scheme. There were 39 people employed under the Community Employment Program (CEP) for varying periods on 12 different projects. Two technical assistants joined the Research Section under one year grants from the Australian Biological Resources Study.

Community Employment Program

Nine CEP projects were approved for the Gardens in 1984. Three were approved in 1985 and will continue into 1985-86. Five of the 12 projects were undertaken at the Jervis Bay Annexe.

The project, ‘Description of Cultivars’, employed one person for 26 weeks in Canberra to research, examine and describe cultivars submitted for registration with the Australian Cultivar Registration Authority based at the Gardens.

The project, ‘Construction of Retaining Walls’, at Jervis Bay employed three people for 19 weeks to provide a series of retaining walls in areas where there was earth slumping and where the movement of mulch had blocked drainage systems.

The project, ‘Stocktake of Plants’, employed four people for 38 weeks in Canberra to undertake a stocktake of all plants contained in the living collections in the Gardens and thus assist with the care and management of the collections

The project, ‘Biological and Horticultural Data for Computerisation’, employed four people for about 30 weeks in Canberra to assess and compile horticultural and biological data held at the Gardens in a format suitable for transfer to a computer data bank to be more readily accessible for public use.

The project, ‘Installation of Fire Hydrants’, at Jervis Bay employed two people for 17 weeks to provide a network of fire hydrants to protect the plant collection and visitors in the event of a bush fire.

The project, ‘Aboriginal Trail’, at Jervis Bay Annexe employed five people for 20 weeks and provided a walking trail through natural bushland to allow the display and interpretation of local and introduced native plants which play an important part in the lives of tribal Aboriginals.

The project, ‘Plants, Birds and People’, employed one person for a year and one for 13 weeks in Canberra to evaluate existing slide-tape programs on birds in the Gardens and develop new materials for use by visiting students.

The project, ‘Public Access Herbarium’, employed two people for a year and two people for 26 weeks to develop public reference facilities in the new Visitor Information Centre in Canberra for the purpose of identifying plants of the ACT and surrounding regions.

The project ‘Poisonous Plants’, employed three people for a year, and two people for 26 weeks in Canberra to prepare, using published information and data from local medical authorities, an edited copy of an illustrated handbook on plants poisonous to people in the ACT and surrounding regions.

The project, ‘Curation of Lower Plants from Papua New Guinea’, employed one person for four months in Canberra to curate and make available for study the Gardens’ extensive collection of mosses, lichens and liverworts from Papua New Guinea, leading to a greater understanding of the Australasian cryptogamic flora. This project will continue for two months in 1985-86.

The project, ‘Public Use and Trial Plot’, at Jervis Bay employed four people for three months to provide improved facilities and access for the general public and to extend the role of the Annexe in the conservation of rare plant species. This project will continue for three months in 1985-86.

The project, ‘Path Reconstruction and Sealing’, at Jervis Bay employed four people for three months to remove the eroded surface of existing paths and replace it with a seaied bitumen surface to permit wheelchair access to the most-visited sections of the Annexe. This project will also continue for three months in 1985-86.

National collections

The Collections Section, headed by Mr A Court, is responsible for collections developing and maintaining both the living collection and the Gardens’ Herbarium. The Section comprises a Development Unit, Jervis Bay Annexe, Herbarium, Nursery, ADP Unit and maintenance depots.

Living collection

Within the living collection in Canberra there are about 51,000 plants of 3,300 species planted in the open. About 2,190 plants of 1,146 species which are difficult to establish in the open are kept as stock plants in permanent pots in the Nursery, while 460 plants of 230 sensitive species have been planted out in a specially prepared holding area.

In addition, a total of 1346 plants of 300 species of terrestrial orchids are kept in cold frames, and 1892 plants of 500 species of epiphytic and lithophytic orchids are kept in glasshouses. The glasshouses also house 2,700 plants of 1,188 species other than orchids. The Nursery including the glasshouse is closed to visitors.

Approximately 7250 plants were planted in 1984-85 (2800 in 1983-84). Of these, 220 are species new to the Gardens, 180 are species which are rare and endangered, and 405 are cultivars.

There are 1,100 specimens of 1,750 species planted in the Jervis Bay Annexe.

Herbarium

The Herbarium now contains about 167,400 accessioned specimens, 116,400 vascular and 51,000 non-vascular (cryptogamic) collections.

About 2,570 vascular specimens were obtained by exchange with, or as donations from, other Australian and overseas herbaria, and about 1950 replicate specimens were sent to kindred botanical institutions.

About 3,270 non-vascular specimens were obtained by exchange with, or as donations from, other Australian or overseas herbaria, and about 5,700 replicate specimens were sent to other botanical institutions.

Miss E Canning prepared a treatment of Cryptandra and Spyridium for Part Two of the third edition of the Flora of South Australia.

Mr H Streimann completed Catalogue of the Mosses of Australia and its External Territories which is awaiting publication. He worked on a revision of the moss genus Papillaria for Australia. A checklist, Mosses and their distribution in the Australian Capital Territory, written in collaboration with Dr H Ramsay, University of NSW, was published.

Mr D Verdon continued a study of the lichen genus Leptogium after his retirement in February 1985, working in collaboration with Dr J Elix,AustralianNational University (ANU).

Data collection

Development of the computer system continued during the year under the leadership of Mr A Glenn from the Information Services Branch of the Management Services Division of the Department of Territories and Mrs L Lockwood from the Gardens’ development subsection.

Records of the outside plantings of the Gardens both in Canberra and at Jervis Bay, as well as some of the accession data, have been incorporated into the system. This allows better monitoring of the living collection.

Work began on the uplift of records of the Nursery and photograph collections and the horticultural data base. The installation of further visual display units enabled wider access throughout the Gardens to the data. Detailed design of a file to contain information on herbarium data commenced.

Jervis Bay Annexe

Development in the Annexe continued to focus on the provision of services such as water and electricity, permanent identification of sections within the developed areas, and public use facilities. Sections in the rainforest gully were supplied with automatic sprinkler systems based on the latest electronic control equipment. This will enable an automatic irrigation system to be evaluated for other areas in the Annexe.

Plans for a visitor contact station for construction in 1985—86 were developed by Mr F Howe in consultation with the Department of Housing and Construction. The station will provide a meeting room, public access herbarium and improved administrative facilities for the Annexe.

A shelter shed for visitors was constructed in an area being developed as a small picnic area overlooking Lake McKenzie. Overall growth in visitor numbers continued and a limited survey of visitors to the Jervis Bay Territory indicated a need to consider extended opening hours of the Annexe, particularly at weekends and public holidays.

Collections fieldwork

Mr Streimann collected non-vascular specimens in north Queensland and fieldwork the Darwin-Katherine area. He also collected non-vascular plants on Norfolk Island in December 1984 in collaboration with Dr Elix, ANU. Financial assistance was provided by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service and a report was prepared on the ecology and conservation status of bryophytes and lichens on the Island.

Areas near Sydney were visited by Messrs P Ollerenshaw and S Donaldson and Ms P Beesley to collect both rare and endangered species as well as species not previously represented in the Hawkesbury Sandstone section of the Gardens. This section is one of the Gardens’ most successful ecological plantings.

Ms Beesley participated in a trip to the south coast of NSW collecting from remote areas by helicopter. The trip was arranged by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and involved botanists from CSIRO, the NSW and Victorian herbaria and the ANBG.

Shorter trips were carried out in local areas to collect specimens and live material as part of the Public Access Herbarium project.

Public programs

During the year the Public Programs Section was established, with education, therapeutic horticulture and visitor services being united under one Assistant Director. This position was occupied for four months by Mr G O’Neill who resigned in March, but remained vacant for the rest of the year. The subsections are headed by Mrs A Boden (education), Ms E Smith (therapeutic horticulture) and Mr M Fagg (visitor services).

Education Education programs at the Gardens diversified in 1984-85 to include curriculum-based programs in plant sciences from primary to tertiary levels, work with language-disabled primary students, and mature aged students attending Adult Migrant Education courses.

The Director, ACT Office of Further Education, in response to a request from this Department, created two additional teaching positions at the Gardens. The provision of a technical assistant position in the education service facilitated the implementation of programs.

Inability to meet peak demands in spring and autumn continues to cause concern and disappointment for user groups who are forced by curriculum requirements to visit the Gardens during these periods or forgo this aspect of their teaching programs.

Evaluation procedures for all educational visits were revised during the year to produce more useful data. Responses indicated a consistently high level of acceptance of the classroom component of visits during which group discussion and contact with plant specimens and other resources were emphasised. The alternative of self-directed tours lacking the ‘hands- on’ experience with contact specimens was regarded as unacceptable by responding teachers.

An education policy document was prepared defining the philosophy, aims and objectives of the Gardens’ education service and teaching strategies for achieving their implementation.

Work experience for secondary and TAFE students, including disabled students, proceeded under revised guidelines to help students learn about the employment process as well as acquire specific skills and knowledge.

The education officer, Mrs A Boden, attended the 34th annual conference of the Science Teachers’ Association of Australia and presented a seminar entitled ‘Improving the Educational Value of Fieldwork in Botanic Gardens’.

Mrs Boden carried out two educational research studies covering evaluations of the 1984 series of Australian native plant poster kits and the slide- tape sequence ‘Black and White Minstrels’. Work was undertaken on educational materials for a second series of kits and for primary level programs celebrating the Week of the Wattle.

Mrs Boden was appointed by the ACT Schools Accrediting Agency to the panel considering biology courses submitted for accreditation at senior secondary level.

Therapeutic horticulture

There were increases in the number of physically disabled people served and in the range of programs offered during the year. Community therapeutic horticulture programs were also developed at local day care centres and residential hostels.

The therapeutic horticulture officer, Ms E Smith, conducted in-service training workshops for rehabilitation staff, community workers and teachers. Consultation and advice were given to many organisations both locally and nationally to assist them in developing suitable therapeutic, recreation or training programs in horticulture for their disabled clientele.

Ms Smith spoke at the Technology Expo as part of the Disabled Persons International Conference in Adelaide and at the inaugural meeting in Sydney to establish the Society for Rehabilitation and Recreation through Horticulture.

Rehabilitation workers visited the Gardens from other parts of Australia to obtain information on accessible garden features, tool selection and modification, program design and implementation, and therapeutic techniques. Professional support was given to State organisations which promote horticulture for disabled people.

The role of volunteers expanded this year. Their numbers increased and they played an important role in assisting disabled people in programs at the Banksia Centre and in the community.

Visitor services Exhibitions on the botanical explorations of Allan Cunningham and design proposals for a tropical conservatory in the Gardens by architecture students from the Canberra College of Advanced Education were established by Messrs Fagg and R Hotchkiss. Smaller displays entitled ‘Wattles’, ‘Pests of Native Plants’ and on the role of the Banksia Centre were prepared. Displays on the family Myrtaceae and bush fires were set up in the Gardens’ classroom for use in education programs, and a display dealing with the Gardens’ educational role contributed to the second poster launching ceremony at the Burbidge Memorial Amphitheatre

A total of 4,724 publications was sold from the Information Centre. Over 1,000 visitors sought advice from the horticultural adviser, Mrs E Mullins, and a further 400 requests for horticultural information or plant identification were answered by mail. Mrs Mullins also gave advice and information through articles in the Canberra Chronicle and the gardening supplement to the Canberra Times

.A large exhibition featuring the flora of the Jervis Bay area was set up at the Jervis Bay Annexe by Mr Hotchkiss. Displays informing the public about the roles of the Gardens were prepared for the Royal Canberra Show and for the Canberra Garden Expo held at Commonwealth Park.

Throughout the year, 320 guided tours of the Gardens were conducted for a total of 6,485 visitors by rangers Mr K Thaler and Mr J Jervis. The Gardens continued to be a favourite site for weddings with 125 held in 1984-85.

The Canberra Region of the Society for Growing Australian Plants held its annual show at the Gardens in October.

On 24 January the Gardens hosted the third senior citizens’ Australia Day concert organised by the Australia Day Council and the Canberra Permanent Building Society with the aid of several business and community organisations. More than 800 people attended.

Messrs O’Neill and Fagg visited Sydney to examine options for administering a bookshop in the new Visitor Information Centre, and for operating a ‘people-mover’ on a route around the Gardens.

Photographic collection

The Gardens has a collection of 14,600 35 mm colour slides, of which 6,600 are habit or close-up photos of Australian native plants and 4,000 are field records of those plants. During the year 200 slides were added to the collection either by Gardens’ staff or by donations from private photographers.

A total of 147 slides was loaned for use in government and non- government publications in 1984-85 and the collection was also used extensively for educational purposes. Work commenced on the incorporation of the photographic collection records into the Gardens’ data base.

Research

The Research Section was re-structured in 1984-85. The Section, headed by Mr J Armstrong, now consists of three sub-sections: Botanical Research (headed by Dr M Crisp), Horticultural Research (headed by Dr R Ellyard) until his resignation on 21 June 1985, and Biological Research (headed by Mr M Clements). Mr Armstrong was given Gardens’ responsibility for the Plant Sciences Library, an outpost of the central library of the Department of Territories.

Botanical research

Mr Armstrong continued studies on the evolution, classification and biology of the tribe Boronieae (Rutaceae). The projects phytochemistry of the genus Zieria, cladistic studies of Boronieae, and a treatment of the family Rutaceae for the Flora of South Australia were completed

Dr Crisp continued studies on the revision of Daviesia, investigating some remaining taxonomic problems in the field in eastern Victoria and northern NSW. Cladistic studies on Brachysema and Leptosema resolved the status of those genera and removed the final obstacle to completion of their monographs. A grant awarded by the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) enabled the employment in 1985 of an assistant who compiled indices to specimens and prepared distribution maps for all the above genera. Work continued on Telopea, including the presentation of a paper at the Australian Flora Foundation Symposium on Waratahs and the collection of samples from the field for morphometric and isozyme analyses.

Mrs J Taylor continued her revisionary studies on Chorizema, writing descriptions and making detailed studies on problem species. Field studies were made on C. parviflorum, the only eastern Australian species.

Mr I Telford completed treatments of Proiphys and Calostemma (Liliaceae), Dioscoreaceae and Stemonaceae for the Flora of Australia, and of Cucurbitaceae and some genera of Rutaceae for the Flora of South Australia. A treatment of the plants of the territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Ashmore and Cartier. Reefs and Coral Sea Islands was begun for the Flora of Australia. An assistant to this project was employed under an ABRS grant. Monographic studies on Epacridaceae and Cucurbitaceae continued.

Mr Armstrong and Dr Crisp attended the Australian Systematic Botany Society symposium on the Evolution of the Australasian Alpine Biota.

Horticultural research

The conversion of the former Curator’s cottage into a research centre for both biological and horticultural research was completed by December. Although the space is far from satisfactory all staff are now located in a single building which is considered an improvement on the previous situation.

Dr Ellyard continued his research on the propagation from cuttings of a number of genera including Grevillea, Boronia and Acacia. Results in the propagation of Acacia flexifolia by cuttings and of Telopea by leaf bud cuttings were published. Research on propagation by leaf bud cuttings has extended to other species of Proteaceae.

The grafting of Eremophila species onto Myoporum species and of Banksia speciosa onto B. serrata proved very successful. Grafted plants were planted out to assess growth and long term compatibility.

Seed collections were made of Crowea saligna from plants within the Gardens. This enabled the continuation of research into the seed dormancy of this species. Equipment for cellulose acetate electrophoresis research was purchased during the year and the techniques involved in its use established. Work commenced on the electrophoretic analysis of Hibiscus insularis aimed at collecting information on the biology of this endangered species. It is hoped that funding from the World Wildlife Fund, Australia, will permit field work to be undertaken in 1985-86.

Biological research

Research projects examining the orchid/fungal relationship of the genus Pterostylis were initiated by Mr Clements and Ms K Ellis. By studying the sections within the genus a clearer picture of evolutionary trends should emerge, leading to a greater understanding of orchid biology.

Extensive re-evaluation of fungal resources was carried-out and cultures re-established in long-term storage.

Pollination biology work aimed at establishing the self-compatibility/ incompatiblity of Australian native orchids continued

In January 1985 students from the National Science Summer School saw research and propagation being carried out on orchids in both the research laboratory and the nursery areas.

In May 1985 a group of Chinese scientists inspected the current in vitro research being conducted at the Gardens.

Research fieldwork

Fieldwork this year was reduced due to staffing shortages, however, several short trips were made to known localities of Telopea during September and November by Dr Crisp. He continued working on a joint revision of the genus with Mr P Weston, National Herbarium of NSW, for the Flora of Australia.

Mr Telford and Mr C Howard visited the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to collect material for use in the treatment of Island floras for the Flora.of Australia.

Messrs Armstrong and Clements attended the workshop of the Australian Pollination Ecologists Society at Charlottes Pass, NSW.

Plant Sciences Library

The Plant Sciences Library at the Gardens is an outpost of the Department’s central library. It has a collection of approximately 1,900 monographs, 400 serial titles and 4,600 maps. During the year 82 monographs, 30 serial titles, 190 maps, 109 reprints, and 860 serial issues were added to the collection.

National and international liaison

Gardens’ staff contributed to a range of collaborative scientific projects and meetings both in Australia and overseas.

Mr Clements returned from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he conducted research into the propagation and cultivation of rare and endangered European terrestrial orchids, and carried out taxonomic research on the family Orchidaceae.

He made a second trip to Kew from March to May 1985 to advise and evaluate progress on the orchid project, and to visit Missouri and Toronto Botanical Gardens to examine their orchid collections.

While at Kew he attended the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, an orchid specialist group meeting, a symposium on Recent Advances in Orchid Science, and the Royal Horticultural Society international centenary orchid conference.

On route to Canberra he visited the Royal Botanic Gardens, Hamilton, Ontario where he gave lectures to botanical societies before going to the Missouri Botanical Garden. There he inspected the facilities, the living orchid collection and orchid collections in the herbarium.

The Director of the Gardens, Dr R Boden, participated in the Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation Consultative Committee which assisted in preparing the Report on the Collection of Native Plants in Australian Botanic Gardens and Arboreta. This report identified serious inadequacies in the preservation, interpretation and protection of the Australian flora through cultivation in professional,y managed botanical gardens and arboreta and presented recommendations to overcome them. The report was submitted to Commonwealth and State Governments.

The annual meeting of the Australian Flora Foundation was held at the Gardens and included a symposium on the biology and cultivation of waratahs. Mr Armstrong was elected vice president and Dr Boden a councillor of the Foundation.

Dr Boden attended the first meeting of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and the World Wildlife Fund plant advisory group at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Many of the Group’s recommendations emphasised the tropics and sub-tropics and the need to protect populations of economically important plant species, such as the Australian eucalypts, which are germ plasm for vast areas of timber plantations in over 70 countries.

Mr Ollerenshaw attended the meeting of the International Plant Propagators’ Society. Dr Boden participated in the meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee of World Wildlife Fund Australia and the Endangered Flora Working Group of the Council of Nature Conservation Ministers. Mr Court participated in the meeting of the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria in Perth.

The Gardens participated with the Australia Day Council in a schools competition for the Week of the Wattle in August.

Australian Cultivar Registration Authority

The Australian Cultivar Registration Authority, based at the Gardens, was established in 1963 to register cultivars of native plants. The Authority has members representing botanic gardens, the horticultural trade and special interest groups. Dr R Boden, and Messrs Court and Armstrong attended the meeting in October 1984. The offices of registrar and treasurer were held by Mr Butler and that of Secretary by Mr Armstrong.

Twenty-seven cultivars were registered at the annual meeting held at the Gardens. During the year, a scientific officer was employed for six months on a CEP project to prepare descriptions for the backlog of cultivars already received by the Authority. A considerable number was prepared, although the backlog may increase again due to insufficient staff time available for this task. A further 23 cultivars were received for registration during the year.

ANBG publications

No issue of the annual publication Growing Native Plants was produced this publications year. Reprints of numbers 4, 7 and 9 were released but numbers 1, 3 and 5 are still out of print resulting in complaints from the public. A new booklet,Floral Emblems of Australia, by Mrs Boden, was released in May. The manus crip was written privately and donated to the Department of Territories before the author joined the Gardens. Conservation of the Genus Daviesia by Dr Crisp, the sixth in the Gardens’ series of occasional publications, was distributed to kindred institutions and scientific colleagues. Througout the year staff contributed papers and articles to scientific and educational jour nals the Flora of Australia and newspapers (Appendix 2).

APPENDIX 1- STAFF AT 30 JUNE 1985

DIRECTOR
Robert Boden, B.Sc. For., M.Sc., Ph.D., Dip. For.

ADMINISTRATION
Executive Officer
David Ward
Administrative Officer
Maree Miller
Clerk
Kate Bayliss (a)
Clerical Assistants
Jenny Garbode
Rozlyn Loosemore (a)
Word processor operator
Carol Spackman
Typists
Vacant
Vacant

NATIONAL COLLECTIONS

Assistant Director
Arthur Court, B.Sc.
Curator
Estelle Canning (a), B.Sc., T.P.T.C.
Botanist
Pam Beesley (a), B.Sc. (Hons.)
Curatorial officer
Heinar Streimann, B.App.Sc.,
Cert. For., Cert. Wood. Tech.
Herbarium assistants
Judith Curnow (a), BEd.
Faye Davies*
Julie Keir (a)
Muriel Rafferty
Jan Ward, B.Sc.
Arboriculturist (development)
Leslie Lockwood, B.Sc., Dip. Teach.*
Development officer
Geoff Butler* **
Arboriculturist (landscape)
Vacant
Planting officer
Peter Ollerenshaw (a) * **
Planting assistant
Lyn Meredith
Plant assessment overseer
Barbara Barnsley (a) *
Plant assessment assistants
Ros Grace, B.Sc.
Wayne Hughes* **
Mary Nazer, B.Sc.
Supervisor (horticultural maintenance)
Steve Corbett (a) *
Overseers (horticultural maintenance)
Stuart Donaldson*
Barry Hadlow*
Fred Howe*
Julie Richards (a), B.Sc. (For.)
Clerk of works
Bob Woodhams*
Gardeners
Tim Axelsen*
Tony Barbaro
Nazzarino Bono
Mimmo Catanzariti
Steve Dunne*
Keith Edwards
Peter Flint, B.A.
Adrian Gallmann
Irene Gleadhill
Jim Hewat*
Paul Hewat*
Lynne Hoxie, B.A.*
Andrew Hughes*
Jeff Knox
Dave Mallinson*
Jimmy McLeod
Max McLeod
Phillip McLeod
Tim Mulcahy*
Brenda Rlmes*
Mario Russo
Vince Russo
Greg Sattler
Peter Schumack, B.App.Sc.
Ish Sharma, B.Sc. (Agri), M.Sc. (P1. Path.), Ph.D.
Paul Totterdell*
John Treloar*
Suzie Walton
Janne Yardy, B.Sc. (Arch.)*
Horticulture apprentices
Aaron Byatt*
Michelle Jenkins*
Stephen Sissons
Laurence Smith
Denis Smith*
Vivien Thomson
Monika Zander
Senior plant operators
Dominic Catazariti
Greg Small
Trades
David Hinchcliffe
Romeo Tomat
Community Employment Program (CEP)
Elma Herrmann**
Paul Ardler
Ray Ardler
Isaac McLeod
Paul McLeod
Doug Williams
Glen Williams
Gregory Williams

PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Assistant Director
Vacant
Public programs assistant
Jan Wilson (part-time)
Education
Education officer
Anne Boden, B.Sc., B.A.**
Education assistant
Temporarily Vacant
Therapeutic Horticulture
Therapeutic horticulture officer
Erica Smith, B.A.*
Therapeutic horticulture assistant
John Pike*
Gardener
Reg Taylor
Visitor Services officer
Murray Fagg
Interpretation officer
Vacant
Display assistant
Ron Hotchkiss
Horticultural adviser
Effie Mullins*
Rangers
Kurt Thaler**
John Jervis**

RESEARCH
Assistant Director
Jim Armstrong, B.Sc. Agr.
Botanical Research
Research botanist
Michael Crisp, B.Sc. (Hons.), Ph.D.
Research officer (botany)
Ian Telford
Research assistant (botany)
Joan Taylor*
Horticultural Research
Research horticulturist
Mark Clements (a), B.App.Sc., Grad. Dip.Sc.** Roger Ellyard, B.Sc., Ph.D. (resigned 21 June 1985)
Research officer (horticulture)
Hunter Brownscombe (a), B.Sc. (For.)
Research assistants (horticulture)
Keith Bailey (a), B.A.*
Vacant
Biological Research
Research biologist
Karen Ellis (a), B.Sc.
Research assistant (biology)
Temporarily Vacant
Australian Biological Resources
Study Grants (ABRS)

Chris Howard, B.App.Sc.
Helen Thompson, B.Sc. (Hons.)
Plant Sciences Library
Library officer

Vacant
Bob Beveridge (a), B.A.

* the officer holds a Horticultural Certificate or Award
** the officer holds a non-Horticultural Certificate or Award
(a) the officer was acting in the position at 30 June 1985.

 

APPENDIX 2— PUBLICATIONS

The following items were published in 1984-85.

Scientific

Armstrong, JA (1984), Pollination biology of the Australian flora, in J. Johnstone (ed.), ‘Proceedings of the 1984 Biology Summer School on Living Structure and Function’, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, 15-16.

Butler, G & Ellyard, R K (1985), ‘Cultivars and registration in Australia’, Protea News (newsletter of the International Protea Working Group) 2, 9-14.

Beesley, P L (1984), ‘A rare daisy’, Wildlife Australia 21(4), 20—23.

Boden, A (1984), ‘Reaching out with poster kits’, Museum Education Association of Australia Journal 19, 20—2 1.

—— (1984), ‘Encouraging Australians to grow native plants’, Plants & Gardens: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record 40(3), 45—48.

—— (1985), Floral Emblems of Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Boden, R W (1984), ‘Special purpose forest reserves and their role in protecting endangered plants’, Habitat 12(5), 12-14.

Clements, M A & Cribb, P J (1984), ‘The underground orchids of Australia’, Kew Magazine 1(2), 84—91.

& Cribb, P J (1985), ‘Australian orchids in the JE Smith Herbarium’, Kew Bulletin 40(3), 649—655.

Mattias, I G & Jones, D L (1985), ‘A new species of Pterostylis (Orchidaceae) from southeastern Australia’, Kew Bulletin 40(1), 77-80.

Crisp, M D (1984), ‘Notes on Daviesia and Jacksonia (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) for the Flora of Perth Region’, Nuytsia 5, 159-170.

(1985), ‘Eucalyptus ornata (Myrtaceae), a new Silver Mallet from a hill near Kondinin, Western Australia’, Nuytsia 5, 311-315

(1985), Conservation of the genus Daviesia, Australian National Botanic Gardens Occasional Publication 6.

Ellyard, R K (1984), ‘Propagation of Eriostemon australasius Pers. from cuttings’, Plant Propagator 30(1), 10-13.

(1984), ‘Effect of root pruning at time of planting on subsequent root development of two species of Eucalyptus’, Journal of Aboriculture 10(7), 214—216.

—— & Ollerenshaw, P J(1984), ‘Acacia flexifolia and its propagation from cuttings’, Australian Horticulture 82(4), 54—58.

—— & Butler, G (1985), ‘Breakthrough in waratah propagation’, Australian Horticulture 83(3), 27—31.

Ramsey, H P & Streimann, H (1984), ‘Mosses and their distribution in the Australian Capital Territory’, Telopea 2(5), 559—574.

Telford, I R H (1984), Cactaceae, in A S George (ed.), ‘Flora of Australia 4’, Australian Goverment Publishing Service, Canberra

Wood, J, Clements, M A & Muir, H J (1984), ‘Plants in peril 2’, Kew Magazine 1(3), 139—142.

Popular

Mullins, E, ‘Hakeas bring the bush to your garden’, Canberra Chronicle, 15 August 1984, p.6.

—— ‘Banksias, Australia’s unique flowers’, Canberra Times, 21 September 1984, p.17.

—— ‘Pot-planting an old art form’, supplement to the Canberra Times, 25 October 1984, p.1.

— ‘Take care in design to minimise maintenance’, supplement to the Canberra Times, 15 November 1984, p.1.

—— ‘Paperbark, tea tree or honey myrtle — A sweet draw for songbirds, bees’, supplement to the Canberra Times, 27 December 1984, p.1.

—— ‘Carnivores among plants’, supplement to the Canberra Times, 25 April 1985, p.1.

—— ‘Discover the usefulness of native climbers’, supplement to the Canberra Times, 20 June 1985, p.1.


Updated October 17, 2006 by Webmaster (anbg-info@anbg.gov.au)