Education Trail

The Education Trail is intended to help visitors to get the most out of their visit to the Gardens.

The trail should take at least one hour to complete with the trail starting at the Morey Gates, which is the main entrance to the Gardens in Wendouree Parade. The Trail has a number of stations marked by signs and plaques.

1. Lions Statues: characteristic of grand entrances in 19th Century landscapes
2. Statuary Pavilion: note the interpretive sign panels for information on the collection
3. Sundial: note the adjustments for seasons, can't be reset for daylight saving!
4. Swamp Cypress: a deciduous conifer that has aerial roots growing out of the ground to cope with swamp conditions
5. Maidenhair Trees: considered extinct in their wild environment and are now being re-introduced. Through cultivation they have survived.
6. Lily Pond: notice the water-lilies and other water (aquatic) plants.
7. Claxton Monument: commemorates the Mayor who was instrumental in influencing Council to implement plans for the Gardens and Lake Wendouree in the 1870s.
8. Fernery: the fourth on this site and provides shelter from sun, frost, hail to create a forest understorey environment for plants.
9. Curator's campsite: this was George Longley's campsite for the first two years. Two curator's residences have since been built and removed from the site.
10. The Robert Clark Centre: displays information on the history of the Gardens and Lake Wendouree.
11. The Prime Ministers Avenue: a collection of bronze busts of all Australia's Prime Ministers.
12. Bunya Bunya Pines: display adaptations to prevent grazing and trampling by animals. Huge cones were the source of food for Queensland Aborigines.
13. Sensory Garden: plants appealing to touch, taste, smell and vision.
14. Tasmanian Blue Gum: one of many planted throughout Ballarat's streets and parks in the 1870s. On Significant Trees Register.
15. Western Bed: 10 thematic gardens from the Conservatory to the Hatcheries with 10 Koorie Art poles depicting plants and animals used by the Wathaurang tribe.
16. Dahlia Garden: displays our collection of tuberous dahlias from December to May.
17. Southern Conservatory: no longer used as a Conservatory, the Friends of the Gardens grow plants in here now.
18. Leda: one of the 12 Stoddart Bequest statues.
19. Sequoiadendron Avenue: Giant Redwoods or Mammoth Trees planted 120 to 130 years ago form this avenue.
20. Sitka Spruce: an important tree in Canada's British Columbia for timber and of spiritual importance to the indigenous Indians.
21. Mercury: the mythological Roman messenger of the Gods with wings on his helmet.
22. Grafted Elms: these two elms were grafted together by the Curator Tom Toop and his apprentice Tom Beaumont. The trees have formed an interesting formation known as the Wedding Tree.
23. Reflection Pond: a play on words, it is used to create reflections in water and the ball, and a place for reflection on life.
24. Sir William Wallace: 'Braveheart' is depicted standing at the Abbey Gate during the Battle of Stirling Bridge in the defeat of the English Army by the Scottish Army on 11 Sept 1297.