The 3.5-hectare garden is a contemporary, future-focused addition to Bendigo’s historic botanic garden precinct that responds to the challenges of climate change in inspiring and immersive ways.

The idea behind the Bendigo Garden for the Future is not only practical (to ensure the garden’s own survival), but to educate and encourage visitors to use the climate-appropriate plants found here in their own gardens in new and interesting ways.

Inspiration for the planting palette was sought from other areas of the world that currently experience similar rainfall patterns and temperature variability to those projected for Bendigo in the next fifty years – areas as far away as South America and the Middle East.

The garden has three distinct areas arranged around an oval-shaped promenade, the “International Biome,” the “Australian Biome” and the “Fun and Fantasy Lawn.” 

The first is composed of imported species, the second of Australian species, and the third a fusion of both.

This project goes beyond standard landscape responses to being sustainable by drawing on peer-reviewed climate change predictions for this part of Australia and designing a botanic garden that will not only survive and thrive in today's conditions, but the conditions predicted for 2050 and beyond.

The project also educates visitors on low-water use plants that they can grow in their own gardens, promoting sustainability, once again beyond the project.

About the Awards

The Sustainability Awards is Australia’s longest running and most prestigious awards program dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating excellence in sustainable design and architecture. Nominations received are shortlisted and then winners for each category are announced at a five-star Gala evening hosted this year at the Star, Sydney on 11 October 2018. The daytime event Sustainability Live is a CPD-endorsed education event where industry experts present a range of topics to educate, inform and ignite learning.

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