Attraction
Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
Queensland's state art museum, split between two free riverside buildings at South Bank, with Australian, Indigenous and Asia Pacific art and a cinema.
City Botanic Gardens
Brisbane's oldest public garden, on a bend of the river beside the CBD, with 1850s bunya pines, a weeping fig boardwalk and free guided walks.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic botanic garden
- Area
- Brisbane City (Gardens Point), Brisbane, Australia
- Official site
- brisbane.qld.gov.au
Good to know
- Free entry
- Free guided walks
- Cafe
- Accessible playground
- Accessible toilets
Why we recommend it
The City Botanic Gardens fill the tip of Gardens Point, the bend of the Brisbane River at the southern edge of the city centre. The land was first cultivated in 1825 as a farm for the Moreton Bay penal settlement, and in 1828 the colonial botanist Charles Fraser selected it as a public garden, giving it a continuous horticultural history of nearly two centuries. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1997.
Today the gardens cover around 20 hectares and contain more than 600 plant species. The oldest trees include the avenues of bunya pines planted in the 1850s and weeping figs from the 1870s, and Weeping Fig Avenue is a boardwalk lined with figs. Elsewhere you will find lily ponds, a rainforest area, a bamboo grove, colourful bedding displays, an early 19th-century cannon and Brisbane's first drinking fountain. The Riverstage, a grassed outdoor amphitheatre, hosts concerts.
The grounds are open around the clock and entry is free. Volunteer guides lead hour-long walks from the information kiosk at 11am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday except public holidays, which is the best way to learn the stories behind the heritage trees. The Gardens Club cafe, in the heritage-listed Curators Cottage, is run by a not-for-profit and opens from 7am on weekdays and weekends.
The gardens suit families heading to the castle-themed Baldwin Lawn Playground, and cyclists using the riverside path. They are a calm place to rest between sightseeing stops. There are accessible toilets, an accessible playground and disability parking inside the Edward Street gate. Bike racks are provided at several entry points.
The main entrances are on Alice Street at Albert Street, on Edward Street, beside Parliament House on George Street and at the Goodwill Bridge. The gardens are a 10 to 15 minute walk from the CBD, and the free City Loop buses stop on Alice Street. The QUT Gardens Point and Riverside ferry terminals are close by, and the Goodwill Bridge and Kangaroo Point Bridge link the gardens to South Bank and Kangaroo Point. Parliament House and the Queensland University of Technology campus border the site.
City Botanic Gardens FAQs
Are the City Botanic Gardens free?
Yes. The grounds are free to enter and open 24 hours a day.
Are there free guided walks?
Yes. Hour-long walks leave the information kiosk at 11am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday, except public holidays.
How old are the gardens?
The site was selected as a public garden in 1828, after being farmed by the penal settlement from 1825.
Is there a cafe?
Yes. The Gardens Club, in the heritage-listed Curators Cottage, opens 7am to 3pm on weekdays and 7am to 4pm at weekends.
Is it good for children?
Yes. Baldwin Lawn Playground has a castle-themed fort, slides, a quiet play area and a sand pit, and there is also an accessible playground.
How do you get there?
Walk 10 to 15 minutes from the CBD, take the free City Loop bus to Alice Street, or catch a ferry to QUT Gardens Point or Riverside.
Is there parking?
Street parking is limited. Disability parking is inside the Edward Street gate and behind The Gardens Club.
What is nearby?
Parliament House, QUT Gardens Point and the Goodwill Bridge to South Bank border the gardens.