about us
The Friends are a group of volunteers that help out with the daily running of the gardens. There are various levels of involvment and commitment from our members with many choosing to simply pay their annual membership and read the quartlerly newsletter to keep up with the latest developments. Other members attend the quarterly planting days and get their hands dirty... and a small and keen group also attend the monthly maintenance mornings.
A new and exciting activity that some of our members are getting involved in is the Garden Guiding. This involves taking a group of visitors around the garden - the sessions can be informative but also educational. A few of our members are professional Horticulturalists, Landscape Architects and Botanists that help out with plant selection and design of the gardens in consultation with Council. And last but not least we can't forget the dedicated committee members that keep the Friends organisation running smoothly.
The Friends also currently have one Special Interest Group - Australian Plants Gold Coast, you can find their website here. A number of other Special Interest Groups may be formed in the near future including one for the running of the Herbarium.
If you are not yet a member and it sounds like something you'd like to do then click here and we will post you a Membership Application Pack.
A PDF version of the Friends Constitution can be found here.
The Friends... A Brief History
In mid-1998 a small group of like-minded individuals with a common goal met and formed a steering committee led by Kate Heffernan. Regular committee meetings followed with the first general meeting in May 1999, not long after we made our first proposal to the Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) Co-ordination Committee.
The Council Co-ordination Committee subsequently made a decision to work with the Friends to find and dedicate a suitable site. Prior to this commitment from council we also received support from key individuals and organisations within the Gold Coast community.
In Late 1999 Council initiated the Site Selection process with the the help of Lawrie Smith of LandPlan Studios. The resulting report was tabled at a Community Services Meeting in May 2000. Rosser Park was selected as the most suitable site based on criteria of international standards. A Reference Group was formed in early 2001 with representitives from the Friends, the community and Council. During 2001 to 2002 a Master Plan for the Rosser Park Botanic Gardens was developed by Council and Lawrie Smith. The planning process involved consultation with the wider community through a number of forums and a questionaire. In 2003 and early 2004 the first steps towards establishing the gardens were taken by the Friends group and community members during a number of successful planting days.
Further updated information can be found on the home page. We welcome any new members that are keen to join us in the establishment of our Botanic Gardens. But of course you don't have to be a member to appreciate them, please take some time out to visit the developing gardens, you won't be disappointed! Rosser Park is located on Ashmore Rd, Benowa... east of Royal Pines. The park contains a number of water features, mature trees and existing infrastructure includes toilets, BBQs and Picnic tables... and as of June 2009 a small demountable which houses the Friends! (see picture below)
Click here for a summary of the history of the formation of the Gardens and the Friends group... 'Steps along the Garden Path'. Our Archivist Helena Kelso, recently produced the "The Pocket History of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens... 20 Years On", which is also worth a read.
The Friends Centre, constructed June 2009 (Photo Mary Woods)