Timeline for Botanicals gardens

Before 1788
The local Aboriginal inhabitants, the Cadigal, used the tidal area along Woccanmagully (Farm Cove) for an initiation ground and the 'Kangaroo and Dog Dance'.
Early 1788
The Sydney Domain was set aside by Governor Phillip as his private reserve and Arthur Phillip’s personal servant, Henry Edward Dodd, established a small grain farm at the site of the future Royal Botanic Gardens. The first grain was harvested in July 1788. However most of the crop failed due to being planted out of season, being eaten by rats and the poor soil. By January 1789, Dodd had moved to Parramatta.
1794-1807
Private leases allowed around Farm Cove despite Phillip reserving the land for the Crown. One leasee was Joseph Gerrald, a ‘Scottish Martyr’ transported for sedition.
1802
The old Government House (now the site of the Museum of Sydney) had ‘fine’ garden, with a mix of exotic and native species.
1807
Governor William Bligh removed the houses and farm animals in an attempt to reclaim the 'Demesne' (Domain), leading up to the Rum Rebellion.
1810
Lachlan Macquarie becomes Governor and establishes the ‘Demesne’. Hyde Park, he said, was for recreational walking while the Demesne was not. He built many walls and he and his wife had a vision for an English parkland setting with a grand house’.

Macquarie liked regulations. For example: no grazing, no removal of rocks, no boat landings in the 'Demesne' (Domain). He removed the remaining buildings, including a bakehouse and windmill.
1813-1816
Macquarie completed the road system started by Bligh, including the loop now known as Mrs Macquaries Road which was finished in 1816.
April 1816
Charles Fraser arrives in the colony.
13 June 1816
At 1 pm a gang overseer reported to Macquarie that the road was finished (the overseer and his gang of 10 men were provided with five gallons of spirits with which to celebrate the occasion) and this is traditionally observed as Foundation Day for the Botanic Gardens, one of the oldest botanic gardens in the Southern Hemisphere.
1816
Three weeks after opening the road, Macquarie reminded people to keep out, with punishments ‘inflicted on some idle and profligate persons’ but, he said, the orders were not meant to extend to prohibiting the respectable class of inhabitants from using the area.
December 1816
Alan Cunningham arrives in the colony and appointed King’s Botanist.
c. 1816-1818
Wishing Tree planted where the Wollemi Pine now grows. It was removed in 1945 when unsafe.
1817
Francis Greenway’s Government Stables, now Conservatorium of Music, was started.
March 1817
Charles Fraser described as Colonial Botanist.
1817-1831
Charles Fraser, Colonial Botanist and Superintendent
March 1819
Fraser asks for botanical books to be sent from England, including Brown’s Prodromus. By 1820 Fraser had created a ‘botanic garden’, quite separate to the Governor’s kitchen garden nearby. A catalogue of the plants growing in the Garden was requested by John Bigge as part of an enquiry into the administration of the Colony.
January 1821
Fraser formally appointed Government Colonial Botanist, part of his duties includes being Superintendent of the Botanic Garden.

Hooker publishes some of Fraser’s notes and remarks on botany.
c. 1830
James Busby brings nearly 600 varieties of grape vine on ‘The Camden’ from England (vines collected from around Europe, with many from the botanical garden in Montpellier, France). Richard Cunningham was on the same ship. 17 varieties planted in the Botanic Garden, the rest distributed around the colony, from Camden to (mostly) Hunter Valley (many to George Wyndham).
13 September 1831
Domain is opened for ‘carriages’, and effectively ‘open to the general public’.
Dec 1831
Fraser dies, aged 43.
Jan 1832-Dec 1832
John McLean acting Superintendent of Botanic Gardens.
1833-1837
Richard Cunningham, Colonial Botanist and Superintendent
1833
Richard Cunningham appointed Colonial Botanist and Superintendent

Allan Cunningham offered advice and oversaw Richard’s work.
April 1835
Richard Cunningham clubbed to death on the Bogan River in western NSW on Major Thomas Mitchell's expedition.
1836
Committee to oversee the Museum and Gardens established.
April 1835-Feb 1837
John McLean again acting Superintendent of Botanic Garden. Alan Cunningham accepts Superintendent job from England.
1837
Allan Cunningham, Colonial Botanist and Superintendent
Feb-Dec 1837
Allan Cunningham Superintendent of Botanic Gardens
1837
Cunningham resigns, unable to deal with administrative and horticultural aspects of Gardens (‘resigned the Government’s cabbage-garden in disgust’).
1837
Cunningham in poor health and died soon after returning from a collecting trip to New Zealand.
1838-1842
James Anderson, Superintendent

Superintendent for five years

Described as more of a horticulturalist and collector than a botanist
April 1842
Anderson dies
1842-1844
Nasmith Robertson, Superintendent
May 1842
Robertson appointed
Mid 1844
Robertson dies
1844-1847
James Kidd, acting Superintendent
1847-1848
John Bidwell, Director
Sept 1847
Appointed Director
1847
Fig Tree Avenue planted.
Feb 1848
Replaced due to duplicate appointment of Moore from England and dies soon after, aged 38, in the Wide Bay area after getting lost on a surveying trip.
1848-1896
Charles Moore, Director

Appointed when 27 years old, by Committee of Management, Director for 48 years
Introduced more regulations to keep out ‘all persons of reputed bad character …persons who are not cleanly and decently dressed … and all young persons not accompanied by some respectable adult’
1848
Directed the 11th Regiment Band to play in the Domain rather than the Gardens, as being more appropriate
1848-1878
Moore drained and claimed the Farm Cove land

Seeds from Kew and also Glasnevin in Dublin where his brother was Director
1849
Moore stressed the need for an adequate water supply – some ‘rare and beautiful’ plants already lost to drought
1851
Started to deliver lectures on plants (No faculty of science at University of Sydney until 1882, no School of Botany until 1913.). J.H. Maiden in the audience for some of these talks.
1852
Library established as ‘Public Botanical Library’.
c. 1852
Herbarium collection established in conjunction with the library.
Jan 1855
Moore survives a harsh review by committee established by Governor William Dennison.
1855
Moore brings in soil from Rose Bay to improve the garden for Azalea and Rhododendron – a group of plants he described as ‘of considerable interest and beauty’. In 1856 Azaleas and Rhododendrons were planted out on the southern side of the Macquarie Wall - these became the basis of the Spring Walk.
1856
First aviary opened in the Botanic Gardens, and this lasted until 1940. Other caged animals began to be introduced from 1862, to create Sydney's first zoo. The zoo lasted until 1883.
1857
Catalogue of plants in the Botanic Gardens produced in response to a recommendation in the management review of 1855: 3000 species of flowering plants and ferns (740 from NSW, 110 from Australia elsewhere, 1860 from overseas and 230 horticultural hybrids)
29-31 January 1857
Inaugural First-class game of cricket in New South Wales held in the Domain.. NSW beat Victoria, for the second time – the inaugural First-class game of cricket in Australia had been held the year before in Melbourne.
1861
Fencing off of Domain for cricket match caused upset, and another Government enquiry. Conflict between use of space for cricket and use for military manouvres.
Domain at that time grazed by cattle (to reduce cost of grass cutting) and native trees were dying off and had to be replaced (When some of the trees were removed, there were complaints that ‘ladies driving past in carriages might see naked bathers’ Moore responded that there was also a fence blocking their view).
It was noted that there was immorality in the Domain and gas lights were needed.

Moore has a good reputation for landscape development - for Lower Gardens and the Domain. He essentially kept Fraser's and the Cunninghams' designs for the Middle Gardens. He travelled extensively to collect plants and established many of the old rainforest trees in the Botanic Gardens.
1870s
Moore replenishes trees in the Domain, especially planting figs - his signature tree.
1874
Moore builds and starts living in the new Director's residence (now the ‘Cunningham Building’). Old residence demolished in 1875.
1879
Garden Palace built to house International Exhibition. Burnt down in Sept 1882, with many valuable field records, books, paintings lost in the fire.
Moore associated with the landscaping and care of other gardens in Sydney, such as Hyde Park, University of Sydney, Centennial Park, Moore Park and Callan Park.
1896
Moore dies
1896-1924
Joseph H. Maiden, Director

Director for 28 years
1897
Fountain monument to Governor Phillip erected
Domain lit in evenings by electric lights
8 March 1901
Herbarium officially opened
1901
Artist Margaret Flockton appointed (on staff until 1927).
1902
Camfield ‘enlisted’ to help with Census
1903
Herbarium narrowly missed being burnt in fire that came from a nearby boiler house
1905
586 species from Banks and Solander’s collections at the BM returned to Sydney
1907
Juvenile gymnasium in Domain
1910
Insectarium constructed near aviary so that Government Entomologist Froggatt could study the life-history of plant pests
1910s
At least three tortoises were 'kept near the offices by the flowerbeds' between the Anderson and Cunnignham buildings. The last tortoise survived until about 1967, after which she was stuffed and put on display.
1912
Maiden decided that the centenary of foundation day would be celebrated on 13 June 1916.
Many fountains converted to ‘bubblers’
1918
Botanical Library from Australian Museum transferred to Gardens Library
May 1916
Flying foxes heaviest invasion since 1900, then lighter invasion in June 1916. Next major invasion in 1920. Maiden called in the rifle club to dispatch flying foxes.
11 June 1916
15 trees planted in the Parade Ground area to represent various dominions and nations - the plantings were ‘geographically appropriate trees’.
1916
The plan, and some trees, still exist. Also foundation stone for new Museum of botany and agriculture laid (near the herbarium building).
1924-1933
George Percy Darnell-Smith, Director

The first ‘graduate’ director, interested in ecology and physiology
October 1933
Darnell-Smith retires
1933-1945
Administration split - Gardens administered by Ward, followed by Hawkey, Herbarium administered by Cheel, followed by Anderson
1945-1964
Robert Henry Anderson, Chief Botanist and Curator

First Australian-born directo. Director for 19 years, appointed at age 46.

‘I wish’ sculpture replaces the Wishing Tree (next to current Wollemi Pine planting).
1952
Anderson erects monument to first farm.
Dec 1958
Excavations for Cahill Expressway begin. ‘Fig Tree Avenue’ partially destroyed.
1959
Royal epithet granted. In view of long history of the botanic garden, its association with the first visit of a reigning monarch to the country (first touching Australian soil in the Domain) and its leadership in botany and horticulture, the Royal epithet was recommended by the Trustees in Oct 1958.
Although the bestowal of Royal Patronage was gazetted on 4 February 1959, there is a communication from the then Minister of Agriculture to say that the new designation took effect from 13 January 1959, and the minister announced it publicly on 21 January 1959. The official date for the bestowal is considered to be 13 January 1959.
Nov 1959
Barbara Briggs joins staff, later to become Senior Assistant Director of Plant Sciences
1 March 1962
Cahill Expressway opened.
1963
‘A pleasant grassed bank adjacent to the appallingly ugly oil tanks was alienated for electricity sub-station’.
12 March 1964
Anderson dies aged 65.
1964-1970
Herbert Knowles Charles Mair, Director
1970-1971
Pyramid glasshouse built
June 1970
Mair retires after seven years as Director

Johnson acting Director until October 1970
1970-1972
John Stanley Beard, Director

Director for 2 years
1972-1985
Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson, Director

Director for 13 years, 37 years on staff at the Gardens
1972
Land presented by the Brunets to the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
Established a strong scientific reputation for the Gardens and established the Flora of NSW project
1982
Friends of The Gardens established
1982
Robert Brown Building opened to house the Herbarium
1984
NSW Government allocates 400 hectares for a native botanic garden to be administered by Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust.
Barbara Briggs Acting Director from retirement of Lawrie Johnson in 1985 until appointment of Carrick Chambers in 1986.
1986-1995
Carrick Chambers, Director

Appointed 2 July 1986
Director for 11 years
1 November 1987
Opening of Mount Tomah, cool climate garden in the Blue Mountains -1987
2 October 1988
Opening of Mount Annan, native plant garden south-west of Sydney - by Duchess of York
1988
Rose Garden opens in Royal Botanic Gardens
1990
Tropical Centre opens in Royal Botanic Gardens
1993
Fernery opens in Royal Botanic Gardens
1994
Herb Garden opens in Royal Botanic Gardens
Statues restored

Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation established
Frank Howarth Acting Director for 15 months from August 1996
1996-2003
Frank Howarth, Director
October 1997
Appointed Director
Director for 6 years
1997
HSBC Oriental Garden opens in Royal Botanic Gardens
1998
Rare and Threatened Plants Garden opens in Royal Botanic Gardens
1999
Cadi Jam Ora: First Encounters Garden opens
2000
Sydney Olympics
Tim Entwisle appointed acting Director from 24 September 2003
2004-
Tim Entwisle, Executive Director & Government Botanist
18 February 2004
Tim Entwisle appointed Executive Director
Specialist in Australian freshwater algae

Scientific journalism and media relations
2004
Hospital Road avenue replaced
2005
Domain Garden Wall beside the Cahill Expressway erected
2006
Palace Rose Garden in Royal Botanic Gardens opens
2007
Bowden Centre in Mount Annan Botanic Garden opens
2007
Appointed Government Botanist

Long-term vision for 2016 bicentennary celebrations