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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 tamarind tree is thought to predate the formation of the Botanic Gardens. It is a reminder that this area has been cultivated since 1828. It is indigenous to tropical Africa, but found widely distributed throughout the tropical belt, from Africa to South Asia, Northern Australia, and throughout Oceania, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and China.
This tree is one of the few trees left that predate the formation of these historic botanic gardens. It is a beautiful, balanced tree in a prominent position and contributes significantly to the Garden's landscape value.
The tree is found in the south-east part of the gardens, beside the path that leads to Queensland's Old Government House.