details

Statement of Significance

The site of Brisbane City Botanic Gardens was selected as a public garden in 1828 by New South Wales Colonial Botanist Charles Fraser, three years after the establishment of the European settlement. Originally the garden was planted with food crops to feed the convicts. In 1855, a portion of the land was declared a 'botanic reserve' and Walter Hill was appointed as curator. The Queensland Heritage Register describes the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens as 'the most significant, non-aboriginal cultural landscape in Queensland having a continuous horticultural history since 1828, without any significant loss of land area or change in use over time.' It incorporates Brisbane's most mature gardens and features many rare and unusual species of plants. This is an example of the mahogany known as the 'Mahogany of Commerce' and is from Honduras. It was planted in 1861 by Walter Hill as part of his brief to discover plants that could be the basis of industries in the new colony. It was probably the first of its species planted in Queensland. Harry Oakman, a former curator of the gardens, had a problem getting anything to grow under this large canopy until he realized he had found the perfect place for a rainforest.
This is of horticultural significance as it is believed to be one of the oldest mahogany in Australia. It is the largest tree in the Garden's rainforest which was created when it was discovered that nothing would grow under the tree, which is a significant part of the historic garden's landscape. The tree is associated with Walter Hill, the garden's first curator, who was responsible for its planting.
The mahogany is located to the east of the former curator's cottage in the centre of the rainforest.