Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens

                      View towards Canberra city from Dairy Farmers Hill, the centrepiece of the arboretum site.

In December 2003 the ACT Government agreed in-principle to the recommendation in the Non-Urban Study’s final report, Shaping Our Territory: Final Report: Opportunities for Non-Urban ACT that the burnt-out pine forest area of Canberra known as Green Hills be preserved as an international arboretum.  The pine forest formerly in this area, adjacent to the Tuggeranong Parkway and including Dairy Farmers Hill, had been destroyed by the 2001 and 2003 Canberra bushfires.

The Government recognised that the arboretum concept holds potential as a recreational, educational, scientific and tourist asset, as well as being a beautiful and national icon.  To this end, the arboretum concept has been expanded to incorporate world-class gardens.

Aerial shot of the arboretum site, with Dairy Farmers Hill in the foreground, Telstra Tower on Black Mountain in the background, and Lake Burley Griffin to the right.

Birds-eye view of the arboretum site.

A national two-stage Design Ideas Competition for the Canberra International Arboretum and Gardens commenced in September 2004, and on 31 May 2005 Chief Minister Jon Stanhope MLA announced Taylor Cullity Lethlean Landscape Architects, with Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, as the winners with the 100 Forests 100 Gardens entry.  The 100 Forests 100 Gardens design concept features endangered, rare and remarkable trees of the world, including Australian natives.

The images below outline the 100 Forests 100 Gardens winning entry.  Click on each image for a high-resolution version.

Gardens overview

(first concept)

General overview

(first concept)

Site overview

(first concept)