Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Australian Garden this April with a weekend of family-friendly festivities.
The celebration will feature a mix of free and low-cost activities designed for visitors of all ages, including the Big Bandicoot Backyard, children’s entertainment by theatrical ensemble Born in a Taxi, horticulture workshops, guided walks and tours, and a range of hands-on activities such as string making, Storytime and a wishing tree.
Visitors can also explore the Wild City Exhibition, a mini-urban landscape installation by artist Kathy Holowko, alongside live music performances from local artists.
The milestone comes as the Australian Garden continues to gain international attention. In 2025, it was ranked sixth on the New York Times list of 25 must-see gardens around the world.
Earlier recognition also saw Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria named Australia’s top Major Tourist Attraction at the 2021 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.
More than 300,000 visitors now travel to the Cranbourne gardens each year.
City of Casey mayor Cr Stefan Koomen said the anniversary was a chance for the community to celebrate one of the region’s most significant attractions.
“We’re really excited to celebrate the Australian Garden’s 20th birthday,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors to Casey to come together, spend time in nature and enjoy a fun weekend of festivities at this world-class garden destination.”
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria director and chief executive Chris Russell said the milestone reflected the contributions of staff, volunteers, supporters and the wider community.
“We are proud of reaching this incredible milestone for the Australian Garden and thrilled to celebrate it with the community,” he said.
“We look forward to building on our achievements with new and enhanced visitor experiences, greater accessibility, new infrastructure, thriving and diverse living collections, and world-leading plant conservation work.”
The Australian Garden is dedicated to showcasing Australia’s native plants and ecosystems. It contains around 100,000 plants across more than 1,900 species from across the country, including eucalyptus, wattle, grevillea, kangaroo paw, grass trees and the rare Wollemi pine.
The garden also provides habitat for native wildlife, including one of the last remaining populations of Southern Brown Bandicoots, as well as koalas, echidnas, kookaburras and tawny frogmouths.
Among its most recognisable features is the striking Red Sand Garden, which represents the iron-rich landscapes of Australia’s Red Centre, alongside the neighbouring Dry River Bed designed to reflect inland waterways.
The Australian Garden sits within the wider 363-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, which includes native bushland, walking and cycling tracks, playgrounds and barbecue areas.
The anniversary celebrations will take place from Friday 10 April to Sunday 12 April. Visitors can find more information on: rbg.vic.gov.au/cranbourne-gardens/whats-on-cranbourne/australian-garden-20th-birthday-weekend/
