In late 1999 a Centenary of Federation Grant of $15,000 was awarded to The Friends of The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, Port Augusta Inc to enable new development work to be undertaken at the Garden.

This is one of many projects being undertaken around Australia to commemorate the Centenary of Federation. The money has been utilised to develop sections of the AALBG where representative plantings featuring various botanical regions of the southern arid zone of Australia have been planted. These include the Flinders Ranges, Gawler Ranges, and West Coast and Mallee area of far western SA. A section featuring rare plants and another displaying clay pan vegetation is also being established.

The work has been undertaken by the Senior Gardener and Apprentice Gardener with help from Friends volunteers, Skill Share workers, Council employees and some contract labour.

Friends volunteers have been on plant collecting expeditions to collect seed, cuttings and plants for these new plantings. Plants have been propagated and grown on at the Garden, the new planting areas prepared and drip irrigation installed, plants planted, fertilized, mulched and labelled and gravel paths established. Fertilizer was donated by WMC Hi-Fert. The areas planted were cleared of competing growth to give new plants a chance to establish, but existing low cover plants were retained to stabilise soil and help protect new plantings. Within two to three years these recently planted areas will take shape as new plantings grow and become more obvious.

A brochure describing the work which has been achieved using this grant funding, and some interpretive signage describing each of the new regional plantings will soon be completed and these will feature the Centenary of Federation logo.

The grant funding was the catalyst resulting in the development of these new areas at the Garden. The new areas will be improved and further developed as Council’s Garden budget and other funding allows.
This project has been a success, involving the Friends and other volunteers, Council and Garden staff, and will develop and grow in the future as a fitting reminder of the Centenary of Federation in Port Augusta.

John Zwar November 2001

AALBG Senior Gardener, Bernie Haase and solar powered irrigation controller in new "regional areas	AALBG Senior Gardener Bernie Haase inspecting young plants in recently planted Flinders Ranges area