Charles Gardner Print Page

The memorial commemorates Charles Gardner who was the Government Botanist in Western Australia from 1927 to 1964. It is surrounded by over 50 species of native wildflower. His name is also commemorated in the Charles Gardner National Park which lies 16 km south of the town.

Plants were Gardner’s life. His fascination with them led him to roam the entire State over a period of 50 years, collecting, naming and characterising its plants. In the process, he described eight new genera and some 200 new species – a truly staggering achievement. His greatest legacy, aside from his publications, was the wealth of plant specimens, estimated at 9,000 to 10,000, which he added to the collections to form the Western Australian Herbarium.

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