Garden areas & collections

Aboriginal Plant Use Garden

The rainforest Aboriginal people were hunter gatherers. They used rainforest plants as a major source of food, for shelter, medicine, clothing, utensils, tools and weapons. Over a period of more than 40,000 years they developed an extensive and detailed knowledge of the properties and uses of rainforest plants.

The Aboriginal Plant Use Garden is a short walk located within the Flecker Garden, and showcases many of the local plants that were important to the local inhabitants.  

Along this walk you will see some of the plants used by the various groups of rainforest Aboriginals who lived in the Cairns to Mareeba area.

• Download the Aborignal Plant Use Garden brochure ( PDF, 1.81 MB ).

Bamboo collection

Bamboo is an important plant in many cultures serving a diverse range of uses from food and construction material, to paper pulp, handicrafts and musical instruments.

Temperate species of bamboo generally display a running character, which makes them very difficult to control in a garden environment.  A good example is the fish pole bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) from China which can be seen at the start of the Mount Whitfield Conservation Park.

Most of the bamboos cultivated at Cairns Botanic Gardens are tropical species which tend to be clumping in habit.  The enormous size of some species such as Dendrocalamus giganteus, makes these plants only suitable for large gardens or parks.  With culm diameter measuring up to 25cm and height up to 30 metres, it is an imposing feature in the landscape.

Fitzalan Gardens

The Fitzalan Gardens are named after Mr Eugene Fitzalan, the first caretaker (1886-1897) of the Botanic Gardens.

The area comprises three separate gardens connected by paths and footbridges, and houses a small water lily pond, giant mature palms and trees planted many years ago. The gardens are designed to hide several nooks and crannies, offering you private spaces to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

You can access Fitzalan Gardens across the road from either the main entrance of the Flecker Garden or the Visitor Centre.

Flecker Garden

Flecker Garden epitomises the diversity of tropical flora that can be found across the world's tropical regions including plants from the steamy jungles of South East Asia, South America, Africa and of course Tropical North Queensland.

Freshwater Lake

Freshwater Lake, established in 1975 to celebrate the Cairns City Council centenary, was created from a three hectare freshwater swamp that originally existed on the site. The lake is decorated by a patchwork of water-lilies (Nymphaea sp.) that provides shelter for several species of frogs, fish and turtles.

A swampy, safe haven, the lake is also home to many bird species and, depending on the season, visitors can expect to see magpie geese, black ducks, black-necked storks and cormorants.

The Freshwater Lake is an ideal place for a family outing with sheltered picnic sites, free BBQs, a children's playground and public toilets.

The Freshwater Lake can be accessed by road from Greenslopes St or by foot along the Rainforest Boardwalk.

Note: Fishing is NOT permitted in any of the lakes within the Gardens. This includes fishing for the invasive species Tilapia.  Fishing lines are hazardous to the lake's resident native birds and waders.

Gondwanan Heritage Garden

Located between Flecker Garden and the Visitor Centre, the Gondwanan Heritage Garden is an Evolution Garden tracing the evolution of plants from the first photosynthetic bacteria to the modern flowering plants. Emphasis is placed on the Gondwanan component of the plant kingdom and in particular the development of the distinctive Australian Wet Tropics flora.

The garden is divided into zones representing different stages of plant evolution. Start the trail at the interpretive shelter, learn how the modern continents evolved, examine the fossil record and trace the changes in plants from the beginning to the present day. Then follow the Zones and meet the survivors of this long journey.

• Download the Gondwanan Heritage Garden explanatory brochure ( PDF, 1.04 MB ) . This information can also be found at the start of the trail and printed copies of the brochure are available from the Visitor Centre.

Nature Playground

Located at Freshwater Lake on Greenslopes St (near the Zhanjiang Friendship Garden), this is a children’s playground with a difference!

Integrating creative play elements with the natural lakeside environment, the Nature Playground encourages children to interact with nature, to explore and learn about their surroundings.

There are dinosaur bones to uncover, ropes to climb, play huts to build, a fairy garden, rope climb, tunnels, balance logs, a digging patch and plants known for their bright colours, smells and textures to encourage sensory play.

Rainforest Boardwalk

The boardwalk allows the visitor to imagine what the coastal areas of Cairns once looked like before settlement.  Sadly, this shrinking ecosystem that once dominated the region has all but disappeared, apart from the small patch around the boardwalk and a few other locations.

This special environment has been home for years to an endangered plant called the Layered Tassel Fern (Huperzia phlegmarioides) which once thrived in this habitat.  It is now on the Queensland Government Endangered Species list and is becoming as rare as the ecosystem in which it lives.

Apart from the amazing plant life existing along the walk, visitors should also watch out for the Lovely Fairy Wren (Malurus amabilis) which frequents the area.

The western end of the boardwalk is located across Collins Avenue from the Main Gate. The eastern end is adjacent to the Saltwater Creek footbridge that accesses the Saltwater Lake.

Saltwater Lake

Saltwater Lake illustrates, on a small scale, the diverse saltwater ecosystems found in Cairns and its coastal surrounds.

Filled by tidal waters from the adjacent Saltwater Creek, the lake displays the delicate balance that exists between water, plants and animals within a saltwater environment.  The lake and creek are surrounded by mangroves that supply food to marine animals and provide breeding grounds for species such as prawns and mud crabs. They also provides habitat for many birds.

Saltwater Lake grounds are planted with a wide variety of tropical fruit trees and shrubs. You will also find a raised, no-dig garden bed filled with tropical vegetables.

Facilities in this garden include picnic shelters, BBQs and a children's playground.

The Saltwater Lake can be accessed by road from Greenslopes St or by foot along the Rainforest Boardwalk.

Note: Fishing is NOT permitted in any of the lakes within the Gardens. This includes fishing for the invasive species Tilapia.  Fishing lines are hazardous to the lake's resident native birds and waders.

Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory

The Watkins Munro Martin Conservatory has been designed to resemble the iconic licuala palm (which is featured on the Cairns Regional Council logo).  The structure was built in 2015 to safely house and exhibit some of the Gardens' most valuable and tender plants and a collection of local butterflies.

Inside the Conservatory, a one-way walking path meanders through carefully landscaped botanical displays featuring aroids - including the Gardens’ significant amorphophallus collection - as well as bromeliads, tillandsias, carnivorous plants, cycads, ferns, palms, orchids and tassel ferns.

The Conservatory is situated inside Flecker Garden opposite the main gate.

Zhanjiang Friendship Garden

The Chinese-style garden at Freshwater Lakes celebrates the Sister Cities relationship between Cairns and the Chinese city of Zhanjiang. It was officially opened on 21 November 2015.

It incorporates traditional features in a contemporary style, to reflect the cultural heritage of the Cairns region.

The entry pillars announce “arrival” and are adorned with graphic motifs of traditional cloud patters of Zhanjiang. Boulders of Chillagoe marble acknowledge the importance of rocks and mountains in Chinese garden culture.

A Moon Gate is inscribed with the words “Friendship Garden” and carved granite dogs at the entrance to the Pavilion are representative of the ancient dog sculptures unique to Zhanjiang.

Designers consulted the Sister Cities Advisory Committee, the Consul-General to Mayor Wang Zhongbing, the Zhanjiang Urban Management Bureau, the Cairns and District Chinese Association and the Friends of the Botanic Gardens in preparing the brief.  The style was also influenced by the designers' involvement with the 37ha Sino Australian Friendship Garden at Zhanjiang.