Castlemaine Botanical Gardens

In 1860, 25 hectares of heavily-worked diggings alongside Barkers Creek were set aside for botanic gardens. In 1866 the council appointed Philip Doran, recently of Chatsworth House, England, the first curator, a role he fulfilled until his death in 1913 at the age of 83. The gardens essentially retain his original design and major plantings.

Typical characteristics of a nineteenth century garden that survive include the carriage drive, the elm and oak avenues, the informal park layout with its paths, Lake Joanna, and formal garden beds that contrast with open lawns planted with specimen trees.

There is an impressive collection of native and exotic trees, some of which are registered with the National Trust. They include a huge English Oak which was planted by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867.