Myall Park Botanic Garden
| Myall Park Botanic Garden | |
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Myall Park Botanic Garden glasshouse, 2012
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| Location | Myall Park Road, Glenmorgan, Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°12′21″S 149°39′01″E / 27.2057°S 149.6502°ECoordinates: 27°12′21″S 149°39′01″E / 27.2057°S 149.6502°E |
| Design period | 1940s - 1960s (post-World War II) |
| Built | 1950s (nursery buildings) |
| Architect | Alfred Gray |
| Official name: Myall Park Botanic Garden | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 9 November 2012 |
| Reference no. | 602805 |
| Significant period | 1940s onwards |
| Builders | Harry Howe |
 Location of Myall Park Botanic Garden in Queensland
Location of Myall Park Botanic Garden in Queensland
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Myall Park Botanic Garden is a heritage-listed botanic garden at Myall Park Road, Glenmorgan, Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Alfred Gray and built in 1950s (nursery buildings) by Harry Howe. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 9 November 2012.
Myall Park Botanic Garden is a large garden devoted to the growing of Australian flora. It was established in 1941 by David Gordon (1899-2001).
David (Dave) Morrice Gordon (AM) was born 9 July 1899, the fifth of nine children for James and Agnes Gordon. In 1910 the Gordon family moved to the Western Downs region from Talbot, in the Central Goldfields region of Victoria. The Gordons took up a "prickly pear selection" known as "The Lagoons" (later Lesmoir) on the Balonne River, as part of a group settlement. The rapid infestation of the prickly pear cactus, Opuntia stricta, led to abandoned properties and surrendered large pastoral leases in affected areas of Queensland. In response, the Queensland Government introduced prickly pear selections, where land either infested or partly affected was offered for lease at good terms. Group Settlement Schemes, where three or more parties selected in the same parish, were promoted as part of this process. By the beginning of 1909, 870,849 acres (352,420.087 ha) had been taken up as prickly pear selections, the majority being in the Dalby Land Agent's district, where the Gordons settled.
The planting of Australian flora in gardens and house settings began early in Queensland and other Australian colonies, but it was not until the latter decades of the 20th century, that their popularity became widespread and gardens devoted to Australian flora became common. From the middle of the nineteenth century, large tall trees from the Araucaria family such as the bunya and hoop pines, and fig trees were widely planted, or in some instances, retained on properties after clearing. Ferns and palms suitable for indoors or simple ferneries became increasingly popular in the late 1800s. The nationalist sentiment of the Federation era influenced a wider appreciation of Australia's flora and fauna, with native plants and animals appropriated as patriotic symbols in architecture and the decorative arts and crafts. While horticulturalists, botanists and other gardening writers increasingly advocated the use of natives in gardens, most household gardeners preferred to plant out their gardens with plants that reminded them of their largely European origins. For people who were interested, only a small number of nurseries stocked a sufficient range of Australian plants. In the early 1900s Australian flora was more likely to be seen in decorative architectural elements of domestic housing than in gardens.
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