This April, Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Australian Garden, with a weekend of free and low-cost fun and festivities.
Festivities include the Big Bandicoot Backyard, including entertainment for children by theatrical ensemble Born in a Taxi; a mini-urban landscape by artist Kathy Holowko called the Wild City Exhibition; horticulture workshops; walks and tours; string making; storytime; a wishing tree; live music by local artists; and more.
In 2025, it was named 6th in the New York Times’ list of 25 must-see gardens globally and in 2021 it was named the top Major Tourist Attraction in Australia at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards alongside Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. The Garden is visited by over 300,000 visitors per year and continues to grow in popularity.
City of Casey Mayor Cr Stefan Koomen said, “We’re really excited to celebrate the Australian Garden’s 20th birthday. It’s a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors to Casey to come together, spend time in nature and enjoy a fun weekend of festivities at this world-class garden destination.”
Chris Russell, Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria said, “We are proud of reaching this incredible milestone for the Australian Garden and thrilled to celebrate it with the community. We are grateful to the contributions of supporters, staff, volunteers, Friends and all who have made the Australian Garden the wonder that it is today.
“We look forward to building on our achievements with new and enhanced visitor experiences, greater accessibility, new infrastructure, thriving and diverse living collections, and world-leading plant conservation work.”
The Australian Garden is wholly dedicated to showcasing the unique, rare and fascinating flora and fauna of Australia. Plants displayed include eucalyptus, wattle, grevillea, grass trees, kangaroo paw, bottle trees, and even the prehistoric Wollemi pine. It is home to around 100,000 plants from 1,900 plant varieties collected from across Australia.
It is also home to one of the last remaining populations of Southern Brown Bandicoots and Pookila, and visitors may spot native animals and birds including koalas, echidnas, kookaburras, and tawny frogmouths.
A central feature is the iconic Red Sand Garden, which is an artistic interpretation of Australia's arid and iron-rich Red Centre, neighbouring the Dry River Bed, a colourful display of Australian natives representing the water courses shaping much of inland Australia.
The garden sits within the broader 363-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, which comprises native bushland, with hiking and cycling tracks, BBQ facilities and playgrounds. It is approximately a one-hour drive from Melbourne and on the tourism routes to Phillip Island and the Mornington Peninsula, free to enter and open all year round apart from Christmas Day.
Date/times: Friday 10 April, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm (Big Bandicoot Backyard). Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Age range: All ages.
Price: Free (No bookings required).
Location: Australian Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, corner Ballarto Road and Botanic Drive, Cranbourne.
Access: Access friendly, wheelchair friendly.
Event details: https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/cranbourne-gardens/whats-on-cranbourne/australian-garden-20th-birthday-weekend/
The 20th Anniversary celebrations are being delivered together with Major Partner, Red Energy and Presenting Partner, City of Casey.