ANBG – Some FAQ’s
How many species of plants are there in the ANBG ?
Approximately 1/3 of all the Australian species i.e. about 7,000 in 2015 – and growing
What is the area of the ANBG ?
The developed section of the ANBG covers 40ha. The undeveloped Black Mountain annexe covers another 50ha
How many horticultural staff work in the Gardens ?
· In August 2014, in living collections the Average Staffing Level was 20 as follows;
• 12 in the depots (horticultural landscape staff)--7 full time, 3 part time, 1 maternity leave, 1 position vacant
• 6 in the nursery (Nursery Horticulturists)--4 full time, 2 part time
• 3 managers (Dave, Joe and Phil)--all full time
Actual numbers do vary due to part time arrangements, usually due to family commitments. We always aim to fill up to our ASL, but this is a battle each year.
This year our ASL has dropped to 19.4 spread between the nursery and depots. We currently have 7 staff on Irregular & Intermittent contract who will come in to fill gaps where needed. They are all on part time when they do come on
Who was Crosbie Morrison ?
Philip Crosbie Morrison (1900–1958), generally known as 'Crosbie Morrison', was an Australian naturalist, educator, journalist, broadcaster and conservationist.
In 1938 he became the founding editor of a monthly magazine, Wild Life. To promote it, he began weekly broadcasts on ABC radio, syndicated throughout Australia. His Wild Life series ran for over 20 years and made him an admired radio personality. He was also a prominent panelist on 3DB's popular Information Please, also heard Australia-wide. He worked as a lecturer in natural history with the Victorian Council of Adult Education and, from 1942, with the Australian Army Education Service.
Morrison promoted the protection of wildlife and the need for proper management of national parks. In 1952 he became the inaugural chairman of the newly-formed Victorian National Parks Association. In 1957 he became the first director of the Victorian National Parks Authority.
The education building at the ANBG was named to honour Morrison's enormous contribution to natural history education in Australia. It was opened in 1992 to provide classroom facilities for student visitors to the Gardens.
See the article about Crosbie Morrison by Bernard Fessesy on the Friends website