The Amazon Waterlily Pavilion is a contemporary glasshouse over the original footprint and pond of the Victoria House.  The pond is used to propagate the Victoria amazonica (Giant Amazon Waterlily).  The contemporary glass-house  complements the cast iron structured Palm House & the aluminium structured Bicentennial Conservatory.  The Amazon Waterlily Pavilion was officially opened to the public on 7th November 2007.

History

The original timber framed Victoria House, a timber framed glasshouse, was constructed in 1868 & designed by Dr Richard Schomburgk, the Director of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens at that time, specifically for the display of Victoria amazonica & other tropical plants.In the mid-1950s the Schomburgk Range of glasshouses was added to display a range of plants.   The Victoria House structure was replaced with an aluminium alloy glasshouse as the original timber frame deteriorated.  The original pond & brick plinth remained.

Ian Schomburgk, Richard Schomburgk's great-grandson gave a talk about his experience on the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide's last expedition to Guyana in 2005, on Friday 3 August 2007

AWP