The Gardens and Plants of Historic Battery Point
Botaniko’s 10th annual exhibition was opened at Narryna, Battery Point, on Thursday, 3 October 2024 by Lynne Uptin OAM FSBA.
The exhibition, Botaniko’s third at Narryna, provides a glimpse of what was growing in the gardens of historic Battery Point with those same varieties growing in the gardens today.
By the 1830s Battery Point gardens were flourishing thanks in part to the plant nurseries, particularly those of Daniel Bunce and James Dickinson who published plant catalogues in the 1830s and 1840s respectively.
With historic gardens comes historic homes. To assist with this Charles Morgan, President of the Battery Point Community Association agreed to support this project. Selected homeowners were invited to participate, public spaces were identified for their historic plant interest and a plant list was compiled. This list formed the basis from which Botaniko members keenly sought plant specimens to create the artwork on display.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
BOTANIKO CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
Botaniko first met as a group in February 2014 and in the past ten years has publicly displayed nine annual exhibitions. Selected artwork from all nine exhibitions was displayed at the Kingston Library (Tas) during November 2024.
Botanical Remediation – The Regeneration of the Spring Bay Mill
Botaniko was offered the opportunity to access the Spring Bay Mill site during 2023 to illustrate a selection of botanical specimens, some new and others reintroduced.
In the 1970s the site at Freestone Point near Triabunna was known as Gunn’sTriabunna Woodchip Mill, home of the world’s largest woodchip mill with a licence to export 600,000 tons of woodchips per year. Today it is the calm and transformed site known as the Spring Bay Mill a site rich in endemic and introduced flora, some with a story to tell. (above image is a watercolour of the native Pigface – Carpobrotus rossii by Jean Henley)
The site’s contaminated areas have been managed and remediated offering surprising landscaped zones. The repurposed Mill was officially opened by Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania, in June 2022.
The exhibition moved to the Channel Heritage Museum, at Margate (TAS), where remained until Thursday, 30 May. The final display was held at the Kettering Community Hall, on Sunday September 22, for the Kettering Chamber Music Concert.
Floral Splendour – Government House Garden
Botaniko’s 2022 annual exhibition Floral Splendour – Government House Garden recognises the plants of significance growing in the grounds of Government House, Hobart made possible with the kind permission of Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers allowing access to the grounds during the year.
All works were completed in readiness for a reception hosted at Government House by Her Excellency the Governor and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers on the evening of 27 October. The Ballroom was transformed into an art gallery and it may have been the first time this has occurred with the display depicting the plants of the Estate.
The exhibition was displayed at the Morris Miller Library (Utas), and the Gatekeeper’s Cottage, Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, and at the Kingston Library.
BOTANIKO’S FIRST NORTHERN EXHIBITION
Botaniko was invited to participate in the Blooming Tasmania Spring Garden Show at Woolmers Estate, Longford, on Saturday, 8 October 2022.
The exhibition Gillanders Gondwana, captures the plants of Gondwana collected in South America and Tasmania by Ken Gillanders OAM and his late wife Lesley and grown at their former property Woodbank Gardens, Longley.
This exhibition honored the late Kerry van den Berg, a former Committee member of Blooming Tasmania, who, along with her husband Harry, generously offered Botaniko members unlimited access to Woodbank Gardens to observe, sketch and paint the Gondwana collection.
Botaniko also displayed the book ” Gardeners, Plant Collectors, Friends – Hobart Town and Beyond” by Ann Cripps, garden lover and historian who has lectured and written for many years on all aspects of Tasmanian garden history. Ann has also curated two of Botaniko’s annual exhibitions – Knopwood’s Kitchen Garden and Frederick Mackie – Quaker Plantsman. The Reverend Knopwood and Frederick Mackie are included in the book.
Gillanders Gondwana– The Blooming of Woodbank Gardens
Botaniko’s eighth annual exhibition focusses on the Gondwanan plants collected by Ken Gillanders OAM and his late wife Lesley during their trips to Chile as well as two species from Tasmania’s west coast.
During 2020/21, Botaniko members were privileged to have access to Woodbank Gardens in the foothills of Mt Wellington at Longley. The owners, Harry van den Berg and his late wife Kerry, have nurtured the gardens, once the home of Ken and Lesley and known as Woodbank Nursery, back to its splendid beauty. The gardens contain plants collected by Ken and Lesley from throughout the world.
The exhibition was displayed at several venues in southern Tasmania and at Woolmers Estate, Longford.
Below are some of the works displayed. Top left: watercolour by Janet Thompson; top right: Watercolour by Susie Thompson-Hill.
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- Blunt greenhood – Pterostylis curta
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- Nothofagus antarctica – Antarctic Beech
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- Art works by Debbie Collins and Chantale Delrue.
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- Art works by Annie Rushton, Gillian Ward, Jill Chuckowree and Annick Ansselin.
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2020-21 Discovering the Flora of Wind Song: Botanical Art and Science
In November 2017, Botaniko accompanied botanists from the Tasmanian Herbarium on their inaugural Expedition of Discovery at Wind Song, a 220 hectare former farming property at Little Swanport on Tasmania’s East Coast. The Herbarium observed and documented well known and novel plants on the property – a total of 190 species of vascular plants and 170 lichens were documented which included the discovery of several lichen species new to science. One, Rinodina teniswoodiorum, was named in honour of the property owners, Tom and Jane Teniswood.
In February 2019 a 42 hectare parcel of Wind Song was gifted to the traditional owners through the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania. The statements accompanying most of the artwork included the significance of the plant to the traditional owners.
The exhibition was opened by Dr Gintaras Kantvilas, Head of the Tasmanian Herbarium and was displayed in the Salon Gallery, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from December 2, 2020 until February 28, 2021. From there the exhibition travelled to the Village Gallery, Triabunna, the Morris Miller Library (UTas, Hobart), the Kettering Community Hall and the Art Salon Gallery, West Wind Community Centre, Woodbridge.
2019:
An exhibition of art works by members of Botaniko, inspired by the journal of Frederick Mackie, while sojourning in Tasmania during 1852 – 1854. Entitled Frederick Mackie – Quaker Plantsman, the art works were exhibited at the Narryna Heritage Museum, Battery Point. Tasmania from Sept. 2019 to Feb. 2020, and at Kingston Library, TAS.It will continue to travel to several venues throughout 2021, including the Art Lounge at the West Wind Community Centre.
2018-19:
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Bicentenary exhibition was displayed at the Kettering Chamber Music Concert on June 26, when over 200 people enjoyed both the exhibition and a wonderful concert by the internationally renowned pianist and conductor Howard Shelley who with the Trigon Ensemble performed piano quartets by Mozart and Fauré.
The exhibition was subsequently displayed at the Art Lounge at the West Winds Community Centre, Woodbridge, the Kingston Library , and at the Village Gallery, Triabunna,
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- Norfolk Island Pine cone (LHS) by Jean Henley; King’s Lomatia by Jill Chuckowree (centre); Blood lillies by Sue Stuart (RHS corner); and Roses (Lady Meilland) from Jean Henley’s garden.
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- California coneflower. Watercolour by Mauryeen O’Connor
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- Soft Tree Fern by A. Ansselin – Watercolour
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- Japanese maple (LHS) by Jill Chuckowree. Fuchsia (RHS) by Mauryeen O’Connor. Watercolours.
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- Tasmanian Waratahs by A. Ansselin (LHS) and Janet Thompson (RHS) – Watercolours
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- Tasmanian Blue Gum. Watercolour by A.Ansselin (LHS); Mixed media printmaking using whole Blue Gum leaves, plus natural dye extracted from the leaves, and graphite drawing, by Annie Rushton (Centre); Graphite drawing of Eucalyptus species by Marie Masters (RHS).
Members of Botaniko were also invited to display the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Bicentenary exhibition at the Blooming Church event, at St David’s Cathedral Floral Festival. 8-10 February 2019.
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- Waterlily & Wisteria
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Bicentenary Exhibition – Celebrating 200 years
As part of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Garden’s bicentenary celebrations, members of Botaniko produced 30 pieces of artwork reflecting some of the significant botanical specimens grown in our cherished Botanical Gardens. The exhibition, titled Celebrating 200 years through Botanical Illustration, was on display in the Pod, at the Botanical Gardens. The artworks provided a timeline of plants with interesting stories, over the course of the Garden’s 200 years.
The exhibition ran in August and September 2018 with members of Botaniko in attendance daily.
2018
Works from Knopwood’s Kitchen Garden 1804-1824 and Port Arthur – An Exotic Garden Part 2 formed part of the Clarence City Council’s Arts and Events exhibition Meet the Reverend Knopwood at the Barn at Rosny Farm, Rosny Hill Road, Rosny Park for two weeks in April 2018. The exhibition commemorated the 180th anniversary of the death of the Reverend Knopwood.
Many of the artworks from Knopwood’s Kitchen Garden 1804-1824, exhibited in 2017 at the Narryna Heritage Museum in Battery Point, were also displayed as part of St David’s Cathedral’s 50th Floral Festival, and at the Barn, Rosny Park.The exhibition commemorated the 180th anniversary of the death of the Reverend Knopwood.
2017:
Port Arthur – An Exotic Garden: Unlocking the Botanical Journey Part 2.
The exhibition of paintings and drawings of plants in the gardens of the Port Arthur Historic site, which had medicinal, culinary and industrial significance during the 1800’s was first displayed in the Asylum, at the Port Arthur Historic Site in early 2017. The exhibition was then invited to various venues in Tasmania, including the Kettering Chamber Music Concert, Kettering Community Hall; The Art Lounge, Woodbridge and to a venue in Launceston.
The exhibition was on show at the Village Gallery, Triabunna, as part of the Blooming Tasmania Flower and Garden Festival, as well as the Kingston Library.
Blooming Tasmania
2015-16: Knopwood’s Kitchen Garden 1804-1824.
Although there are few physical remains of the first bountiful garden in Battery Point planted by the Reverend Robert Knopwood, it was brought to life by Botaniko in this exhibition.
Lieutenant-Governor David Collins arrived in Hobart in February 1804 to establish a settlement at Sullivan’s Cove. Knopwood was chaplain to the expedition and soon after arrival, built his home, Cottage Green, on the slopes behind today’s Salamanca Place and established a productive garden nearby. Knopwood kept a detailed diary and meticulously recorded his progress.
When Knopwood’s land was subdivided in 1824, part was bought by Captain Andrew Haig for his home – Narryna.
Initially displayed at Narryna from 10 December 2015 to 15 May 2016, this collection of works were also displayed at the Kingston Library and the Kettering Chamber Music Concert during 2016.
2014-15: Port Arthur – An Exotic Garden: Unlocking the Botanical Journey Part 1.
Depicting plants transported to the Port Arthur penal settlement, along with convicts, a commandant, officers and soldiers. The exhibition was subsequently displayed at the Kettering Chamber Music Concert and the Kingston Library (Kingston Linc) in 2015.