Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens Herbarium Tour and Lecture on The Arctic and Antarctica

Mt COOT-THA BOTANIC GARDENS HERBARIUM TOUR AND LECTURE ON THE ARCTIC AND ANTARCTICA

Specimen collected by Banks and Solander from the Endeavour River, Queensland, Cook's voyage 1770

Directions: From Brisbane, turn left off Mt Coot-tha Road into the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens and park in the main car park. UBD 158 L13. Public Transport is available on Bus Route 471 from the City and the Ring Road bus routes 598 and 599 stopping in the Gardens.

We will meet at 10.45am on the lawn near the Herbarium. It is on the right close to the car park before you enter the actual Gardens.

At 11.00am Ralph Dowling will give a presentation on "The Arctic and Antarctica - Same but Different" 

Ralph will take us through some of the many differences and similarities between the Arctic and Antarctica regions and the reasons for those differences and similarities.  As well he will discuss some of the history of the early exploration of these polar regions prior to 1900 concentrating on the early explorers and scientists who had connections to Australia.  Many of their names will be familiar to us here in Australia.  The talk will conclude with a visit to Antarctica and its spectacular scenery. Well, a virtual visit!

We will book lunch for 12.30pm at the The Botanic Gardens Cafe, at own cost. (This cafe is also open for morning and afternoon tea before and after our trip if needed).

At 1.30pm we will return to  tour the Herbarium and its collections. 

They include historically important specimens, including those collected by:

• Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander during Cook’s voyage along eastern Australia in 1770
• explorers Robert Brown, Ludwig Leichhardt and Amalie Dietrich
• early Queensland botanists Frederick Manson Bailey, Cyril Tenison White and Leonard Brass.

The tour is expected to end before 3pm when there will be plenty of opportunity to walk around the beautiful gardens in your own time. 

Website: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/plants/herbarium/about

Coordinator: Chris Spriggs. 0400 908 378

Cost: Members $5, Guests $10. Strictly limited to 19 people.