The Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens are situated high on top of an ancient extinct volcano overlooking the pretty village of Daylesford. It is one of several extinct volcanoes in the region and the original inhabitants imbued these locations with magic and mystery in their story telling.
In the 1850s every Victorian town wanted a botanic garden. It was THE civilised status symbol, and a useful place to demonstrate what plants/trees suited the district. As they grew, botanic gardens became a cool retreat in cities and in rural towns.
In 1860 the new borough of Daylesford wanted to create its Botanic Garden and asked the Government for a piece of the paddock at the goldfields Government Camp on the top of Wombat Hill.
Huge white-trunked trees were felled. The hilltop was ploughed, and paths and beds laid out, many plants being donated by the community. Trees planted included oaks, ash and elm, poplars, cypresses, with blue gums round the boundary.
Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller, the early Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens contributed. As Government Botanist he was interested in collecting plants from around the world, growing them on and giving them away to see how they acclimatised to a new land.
Now The Friends of the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens is a volunteer based organisation who tends to the gardens and raise funds for the maintenance and beautification of the gardens.
Their shed is alongside Wombat Hill House – our café.
The Friends is largely a Volunteer organisation and their operations rely on the sale of plants, the open garden scheme and generous donations from the community.
The Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens are situated high on top of an ancient extinct volcano overlooking the pretty village of Daylesford. It is one of several extinct volcanoes in the region and the original inhabitants imbued these locations with magic and mystery in their story telling.
In the 1850s every Victorian town wanted a botanic garden. It was THE civilised status symbol, and a useful place to demonstrate what plants/trees suited the district. As they grew, botanic gardens became a cool retreat in cities and in rural towns.
In 1860 the new borough of Daylesford wanted to create its Botanic Garden and asked the Government for a piece of the paddock at the goldfields Government Camp on the top of Wombat Hill.
Huge white-trunked trees were felled. The hilltop was ploughed, and paths and beds laid out, many plants being donated by the community. Trees planted included oaks, ash and elm, poplars, cypresses, with blue gums round the boundary.
Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller, the early Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens contributed. As Government Botanist he was interested in collecting plants from around the world, growing them on and giving them away to see how they acclimatised to a new land.
Now The Friends of the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens is a volunteer based organisation who tends to the gardens and raise funds for the maintenance and beautification of the gardens.
Their shed is alongside Wombat Hill House – our café.
The Friends is largely a Volunteer organisation and their operations rely on the sale of plants, the open garden scheme and generous donations from the community.
