A place to explore our regional plants in a relaxed garden setting, learn more about our rich biodiversity, and be inspired.
The Friends of the GCRBG have been a key driver of the development of the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens and work closely with the City of Gold Coast through the Curator and Botanic Gardens staff.
The primary purpose of all Friends’ efforts is the conservation of our regional flora, whether as:
Friends’ services such as information, promotion, guiding, education, interpretation, and community outreach help achieve this purpose by enhancing awareness about the importance of plants and the role of botanic gardens in conserving regional species.
Our achievement is now also a place of beauty, for relaxation and passive enjoyment.
Initiatives
We nurture the Botanic Gardens, maintain the Herbarium, operate the Friends Nursery – and run various programs for visitors and members.
Inclusivity
The average Australian spends more than 90% of their time indoors.
Nature has been pushed back to rural areas and national parks – which aren’t accessible for many people.
The Botanic Gardens were designed to make spending time with plants and other native species easy.
With attractions like the Rotary Sensory Garden and tour options like the Garden Glider, they’re a space anyone can explore and enjoy.
The Botanic Gardens
Pause, step back into nature, and breathe deeply.
Discover our world of plants – its vastness, richness and magic.
Leave feeling happier, more refreshed, and more creative.
“The vision for Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens remains as a place which blends science, education, horticulture and conservation with social justice, recreation and pleasure …
The important goals established in the 2002 Master Plan are steadily being achieved through a combination of hard work and commitment by members of the Friends, the community and Officers of the City of Gold Coast.
It is now a sanctuary of green for wildlife and people. There is reason for pride in the efforts thus far, but still much work to be done. The amazing biodiversity of this region deserves no less than continuing the concerted effort of the past twenty years.”
Kate Heffernan
Founder, FGCRBG
In Celebrating Regional Diversity: Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens, Rosser Park by Kate Hefferan
Sustainability
Botanic gardens like ours do many things.
They help conserve endangered species.
They can lead to advances in scientific research.
They capture, catalogue and classify botanical knowledge.
But the purpose of the Gardens is much simpler: to reconnect people with plants.
Not just because nature is good for us – but because plants are breathtakingly complex, diverse, resilient and remarkable beings that always have and always will be an essential part of the human journey.
Getting to know them for their own sake is worth it.
Friends Centre
We operate from the Friends Centre, located a short walk away from the Gardens’ main entrance.
Come inside to get information about the Gardens or browse our range of gifts and native plants, including books, local produce, and handcrafted merchandise.
The Centre is also home to Coffee at the Gardens – organic coffee, loose-leaf tea, and other refreshments, available 7 days a week.
“Any garden is a special space that can restore our natural association with nature and importantly improve our health and wellbeing.
Dedicated involved members of the Gold Coast Community are creating a remarkable scientifically based landscape garden in which to preserve, research and promote the plant communities of the local bioregion and importantly this botanic garden is of continuing significant value to the wider community and to visitors.”
Lawrie Smith AM
Principal Landscape Architect and Master Planner, the Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens
In Celebrating Regional Diversity: Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens, Rosser Park by Kate Hefferan
People
History
Explore more than 25 years of Friends of the GCRBG.
Swipe to uncover more milestones!
Traditional Custodians
The Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens is located on the land of the Yugambeh language people.
The Yugambeh language people are the traditional custodians of the land located in South East Queensland and north-east New South Wales.
Their ancestors all spoke one or more dialects of the Yugambeh language and included families that identify as Kombumerri, Mununjali, Wangerriburra and others.
Yugambeh people are connected to jagun (country) and everything on it – the plants and animals, the mountains and valleys, the rivers and ocean.
The language remains in the land, carried by people.
We acknowledge and pay respect to the land and the traditional families of the Yugambeh region of South East Queensland and their Elders past, present and emerging.
Support
Friends of the GCRBG is a fully community-funded association.
We don’t receive any financial support from governments or councils, which means we rely on our amazing members and donors to keep the Gardens flourishing.
(Our team are all volunteers – they love contributing to a beautiful space that everyone can experience.)
Strategic Objectives
Conserve endangered local native plant species and preserve the region’s floral biodiversity.
Provide interpretive data to increase awareness of the value of regional plant communities.
Undertake effective fundraising and use best practice business management.
Market, publicise, promote, stimulate interest in and foster community awareness of the Gardens.
Collaborate with Council on the development, expansion, maintenance and rehabilitation of the Gardens.
Provide education services and guides for schools, tourists, and other visitors to the Gardens.
Grow the Friends as a respected association with the power to advance the Gardens in the interests of the wider community.
As a member, you’ll get access to exclusive benefits – and the opportunity to help grow the Gardens.