Images - the making of the Red Centre Garden

Digging drainage for the Red Centre Garden.	The rocky escarpment begins to take shape.
The iconic Red Centre Garden beneath Canberra's iconic tower.	The foundation for the Red Centre Gardens' meeting place.
A Gardens' staff member surveying the work.	Red Crace rocks line the path in the rocky outcrop.
Gardens' staff marking out the dry river bed.	The rocky escarpment is made with Jasperite from Stanthorpe.
Arrival of Livistona mariae	Arrival of red centre sand

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Background - The Journey to the Red Centre

In 2004, the Gardens opened a new state-of-the-art plant production nursery in a new location at the top of the Gardens, making the original nursery site at the centre of the Gardens available for a new display.

In 2010, the Gardens’ executive developed the concept of an arid garden display. An arid garden showed potential to use iconic Australian arid landscape elements to demonstrate a spectacular contrast with other plant communities within the Gardens.

That same year, the Director of National Parks approved the arid garden concept, highlighting its linkages with Uluru and the natural significance of the arid red centre as one of Australia’s National Landscapes. The arid garden concept became officially known as the Red Centre Garden.

The Red Centre Garden was opened as part of the 2013 Canberra 100 – Celebrating the Centenary festivities.