The 45th floor of the hotel we are staying in has a roof-top balcony that looks down on the Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens and across to the harbour. A grand view. But better still it is only a 5 minute walk and we are in the Gardens, the green, living heart of the city.
The grand view. Royal Botanic Gardens, St Mary’s Cathedral and the harbour, all within walking distance.
13th June 1816 at 1 pm a gang overseer reported to Macquarie that the road was finished (the overseer and his gang of 10 men were provided with five gallons of spirits with which to celebrate the occasion) and this is traditionally observed as Foundation Day for the Botanic Garden, one of the oldest botanic gardens in the Southern Hemisphere (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew opened to public in 1841 (click here to read the fascinating history of the formation of the Royal Botanic Gardens)
What foresight and vision these early pioneers had to create this grand monument to nature and plant the trees that today spread majestically across the park.
Can you see Jack?
Jack hugging a tree
What a grand place to have on our door-step
This is a well-loved park and we saw people enjoying it in all these ways. Here is a gallery of a walk in the park.
Another thought-provoking challenge from Cheri of the WordPress team. Very timely for me as I am in Sydney a GRAND city. Lots of grand things to choose from. I am passionately interested in gardens and all things of nature so the Royal Botanic Gardens are my choice this week. Check other entries here.
gypsy life 
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It’s such a beautiful place, right in the middle of the city! I’ve seen that big tree in the first 2 pics!!! It’s amazing how gigantic and gnarly it is!!!
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That is an amazing tree Stephen, love the word gnarly, once seen never forgotten
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Thank you for the link
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I must say many years to go before the Goldiie does anygood with their Botanic Gardens, great photos.
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Well maybe in another 100 years the GC botanic gardens will be as good… 🙂
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Loved the Botanic Gardens PP . They have such majestic trees and plants and flowers … I remember hundreds of fruit bats too !!!
Looks like Jacks loves a Hugging Challenge 😉
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Majestic is a great word for those trees Poppy. Yes Jack is always up for a good hug, 🙂
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Oh PP .. how lovely to hear that 😉
Can’t beat a good *hug*
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I could easily spend some hours here…
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Time stands still when you wander around the gardens Leya
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I can understand that.
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I too enjoyed my visit to the Sydney Botanic gardens, Lovely!
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Hi some one pleased to hear from you
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H, I Pauline I have become anonymous again sorry….Sandra
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Hi Sandra I wondered if it was you!!!!
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Grand | Humbled Pie
Such wonderful grand old trees, Pommepal. The park is a great choice for the challenge. I see that Jack couldn’t quite get his arms right around that tree trunk. 😀
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He tried but just a bit too far round for him to reach.
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I loved this garden and spent a good amount of time here. Of course I love your post too!
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We do like similar things Cindy. It is a great world isn’t it. 🙂
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What I remember most about the botanic garden are the runners and the ibis! A lovely open space!
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Ah yes those Ibis, I still remember the first time I saw them and thought how exotic they looked. Didn’t seem to be so many of them this year.
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I first saw them (and cycads) in the botanic gardens in Durban South Africa. Just wandering around like pigeons! As you say, such exotic looking birds.
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Nice one Pauline, I learned a lot from the link.
I know my way around my home town but not all the history.
You are always throwing things I would have missed. .
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The history always adds to the interest of a place and Google now makes it so easy to research things
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I share you years: but have been blogging for nearly 7 weeks – you beat me by MILES. Glad to see Poms getting so much enjoyment out of our Botanical Gardens: I wish like anything I had someone to wander through them with. But whingeing aside, it is a pretty nice town, mine, eh? 🙂
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G’day MR nice to meet you, Jack and I have also been together for 31 years of pure joy. I love Sydney and as it is Jack’s birth place I have an ideal tour guide. 1 week is really not enough time to do this city justice, but we will be back
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grand trees 🙂 must be many years old.
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Hello, thanks for commenting they are almost 200 years old
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lovely tree’s !!!!
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g’day Gwennie good to get your comment.
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