The Gardens – Celebrating Tasmania’s Botancial Treasure 1818-2018

The people, plants and passion that have been the story of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens over its first 200 years are brought to life in this stunning bicentennial book.

As a photo-dominated publication, the reader can open this book to any page and be gifted with a reason to smile. If you choose to read from the start, you’ll be taken on a journey through:

• the site’s ongoing and continuing Aboriginal heritage;
• the adventures of the first superintendent as he collected native seeds on kunanyi/Mount Wellington;
• the scandal of a 120-metre-long convict built wall, reportedly constructed to keep out grasshoppers;
• the ancient wonder of 10,000-year-old Huon pines;
• gardens such as the Friends’ Mixed Border (which creates a riot in spring);
• generations of cultural and community events that have shaped our collective memories; and
• the ongoing work of the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre which, to date, has collected and banked more than 43.4 million viable seeds.

Tasmanians responded enthusiastically to the call to submit their images and memories to this book, making it a deeply personal reflection worthy of this milestone.

“The Gardens: Celebrating Tasmania’s Botanical Treasure 1818-2018” reminds us that we all need a sheltering tree. This publication celebrates the many ways that the Gardens allows us to connect with nature, the arts, community, tranquillity, heritage, conservation, each other and ourselves.

“The Gardens: Celebrating Tasmania’s Botanical Treasure 1818-2018” can be purchased for $24.95 from the Gardens shop and ONLINE.

All profits from the sale of this book will support the conservation work of the Tasmanian Seedbank.

The Premier of Tasmania, The Hon Will Hodgman MP, launched “The Gardens: Celebrating Tasmania’s Botanical Treasure 1818-2018” as part of the site’s 2018 bicentenary. He was joined by (L-R) writer/researcher Natalie Tapson, designer Gina Donnelly and writer/editor Net Brennan.

Australia was a cricket team before it was a nation. In 1868 a group of skilled Aboriginal cricketers toured England to represent our six independent colonies, which were still 33 years away from Federation.

It’s interesting that Australian colonists formed national cricket teams decades before they bothered with Federation. Many nations boast a love of sport but in Australia, this passion defines us. The treasured names and legends – The Don, Our Dawn, Phar Lap and Australia II – speak of our history, our values and our identity.

These yarns are a charming part of Australian tradition. They include the clay perfume bottle that was given to the English cricket captain by his Australian sweetheart (The Ashes). Another story tells of the talented cricketer, a grandson of convicts, who helped write the oldest rules for any football code in the world (Australian Football).

Together, these tales also tell a larger story of our nation’s history, including: how the first Melbourne Cup was poorly attended because of the deaths of outback explorer Burke and Wills; why the conscription campaign of World War I targeted a boxer from rural New South Wales; how Bradman and Phar Lap gave hope to the nation in the Great Depression; and how an Indigenous athlete named Cathy Freeman, running at the Sydney Olympics, gave Australians a vision of how great our nation can be when we share a common dream.

Sport is a topic that many of us love. This book celebrates our passion and uses it to engage young people in reading and our history.

“SPORTSMANSHIP: How sport shaped Australia” is available from all good book stores and online booksellers. RRP $17.99

At the age of seven, children in eighteenth century Britain were tried in court like adults. Some, as young as nine, were transported to the colonies.

Their names may not be familiar, but one of these child convicts would become the first person hanged in Australia, another would be celebrated on our twenty-dollar note and a third would count a future prime minister as a descendant.

Their story is one of survival.

Their story is one of nation-building.

Their story is the story of Australia.

• “Child Convicts” is available from online booksellers and at all good book stores. RRP $17.95
• For teacher notes on this text, go to Walker Books Classroom

Before 1901 the nation of Australia did not exist.

New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia were colonies under British Rule.

But among the people of the colonies, the idea of unity was emerging: “a nation for a continent and a continent for a nation.”

Here’s the story of how ordinary citizens became the first in the world to write and vote for their own constitution, coming together to form the nation of Australia.

• “Australian Federation: One People, One Destiny” is available online and at all good book stores. RRP $18.95
• For teacher notes on this text, go to Walker Books Classroom