Whether they signify the turning of the seasons or conjure up memories of looming university exam timetables, the purple blooms of the Jacaranda tree have decorated the memories of Brisbane residents since 1864.
The first Jacaranda planted in Australia was most likely in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens in 1864. Walter Hill, Director of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, would have obtained the exotic seeds from a visiting ship that had stopped off in South America.
It is purported that Hill would row his boat out of the wharf to swap seeds and plants with visiting sea captains. After 116 years Brisbane’s first Jacaranda had grown to a height of 14m with a diameter of 10m.
Are you looking to spring into a new adventure this season? Click here to see what’s blooming at Museum of Brisbane.
