Visitor Information Centre
The Visitor Information Centre provides information about the Adelaide Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and surrounds to visitors.
Volunteers in the Centre complete relevant training & induction.
The Visitor Information Centre provides a central point of contact for visitors to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. It provides directional information, interpretive material, information about, and directions to Wittunga Botanic Garden & Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, and information about special events and activities of the Gardens. It offers a personal connection between visitors and the Gardens.
The Centre is open 7 days a week, closed Christmas Day and Good Friday. Phone: 8222 9246
Volunteer training is provided on topics such as: the history of the BGA, Mt Lofty and Wittunga Gardens, the redevelopments, the Museum of Economic Botany, significant collections and items of interest including statuary, buildings in the local area (North Terrace & surrounds).
Biographical Note - Moritz Richard Schomburgk (1811-91)
Richard Schomburgk, the second director of the ABG from 1865 until his death, was born in Freyburg, Saxony. He was a gardening apprentice in Merseberg & later a gardener at Sanssouci, Frederick the Great's palace at Potsdam. With his brother Robert he went on expeditions to British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1840-44 & published three volumes about his experiences there.
He arrived in Australia in 1849, having married a female shipmate during the voyage, & became naturalised 3 weeks later. He settled near Gawler & planted a vineyard & by 1862 was producing wine from 2 hectares of Verdelho & Mataro grapes as well as growing table grapes.
After becoming director of the ABG he continued & expanded his predecessor George W Francis's development of the Garden. One of his first new works was the rose garden that is now the new Mediterranean Garden. He also oversaw the construction of the MEB, and the Palm House amongst other buildings: & he introduced the first & at that time the only specimen of Victoria amazonica in Australia into a specially built hot house.
He imported many exotic plants, persuading (often reluctant) farmers & others to plant them as crops. Among his successes were 3 new wheat strains that became popular, a phylloxera-resistant vine and drought resistant grasses. He was a member of many learned societies & was honoured by the kings of Prussia & Italy & by the Duke of Hesse.
Schomburgk Pavilion
Moritz Richard Schomburgk