Relocated National Rock Garden now ready for visitors

Brad Pillans, Director, National Rock Garden

Published in the National Rock Garden Newsletter No. 28, December 2024

In May, after more than 12 months of careful planning, the National Rock Garden successfully relocated to the National Arboretum Canberra. Now, the construction fences are down and the site is accessible to the public!

Although our move was only over a distance of about a kilometre, we are now within the grounds of another national institution which attracted more than 1 million visitors in 2023 and has extensive infrastructure including a visitor centre with a café, a bookshop and extensive views over Canberra and Lake Burley Griffin.

National Rock Garden Stage 1 path excavations, 17 May 2024. Image courtesy B. Pillans.

Construction work on Stage 1 of the new NRG site began in May 2024 and was completed in July, allowing us to transfer our existing rocks, and add some new ones, including our furthest-travelled rocks—two large boulders of charnockite from Mawson Station in Antarctica. Funding for Stage 1 was generously provided by our partners, the Geological Society of Australia and the Minerals Council of Australia.

The Federation Rocks display at the new NRG site, 1 October 2024. The rocks are arranged in order of the date of establishment of the state or territory. The largest rock is the South Australian rock—approximately 2 m high and weighing 15 tonnes. Image courtesy B. Pillans.

The concept design for the garden, created by Harris Hobbs Landscapes, features a series of themed rock clusters, linked by gently graded, fully wheelchair-accessible paths. The layout will be integrated with a complementary planting of Weeping Wilga trees (Geijera parviflora) in an indigenous-inspired pattern. Stage 1 sees the installation of an entry feature rock, plus five rock clusters, including the Federation Rocks and an Indigenous welcome feature. Entry is from Forest Drive, the main access road to the Arboretum visitor centre, which is located only 150 m south of the NRG site.

Northwest view to Mt Painter, over NRG Stage 1, with paths completed and the first 20 rocks on display, 19 December 2024. The feature rock in the foreground is a 10-tonne block of banded iron from the Pilbara region in Western Australia. Image courtesy B. Pillans.

With completion of Stage 1 (approx. 30% of the 1-hectare NRG site), fundraising and preparation for Stage 2 (the remaining 70% of the site) has kicked into high gear and we are hoping to begin Stage 2 construction early in 2025. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit the National Rock Garden when in Canberra and spread the word that we are ready for visitors!

We at the NRG are looking forward to a very productive and rewarding 2025 and wish all of our Friends and supporters a very Happy New Year.

Building a rock garden isn’t cheap. If you are thinking about making a charitable donation, the NRG has Deductible Gift Recipient status so you can claim any NRG donation on your tax return. Details on how to donate are on the NRG website: https://www.nationalrockgarden.com.au/support/.

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