Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

Garden Overview

The picturesque setting of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne extends over 36 hectares and displays more than 50,000 plants. Diverse plant collections, year-round events, unique tours, and a reputation as one of the world's finest gardens has made the Royal Botanic Gardens one of Melbourne's most popular tourist attractions.

Our Camellias

The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is home to approximately 800 camellias spread throughout the 36-hectare site, including 200 in the designated Camellia Collection.

The Camellia Collection aims to demonstrate the diversity of species within the genus Camellia and provide a quality resource for research.

The Collection began in 1883, when the Gardens’ second Director, William Guilfoyle (Director from 1873 – 1909), planted the first camellias in the Camellia Bed. This early collection was greatly enhanced under the directorship of Alexander W. Jessep (1941 - 1957).

In 1996, this extensive collection became the National Reference Collection of the Australian Camellia Research Society and was first recognised as a Garden of Excellence by the ICS.

In 2005, the addition of the Bob Withers collection greatly increased the diversity of the existing collection. Since then, the Gardens’ team has focused on enhancing the collection with Australian-raised registered cultivars.

There are varieties such as ‘Spring Festival’ (C. cuspidata), C. nokoensis with its small white scented flowers and new growth in curious shades of red, and C. trichocarpa, which has a large white flower, yellow stamen and produces a seed the size of an apple. A full list of camellias at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is available as part of the online plant census which can be accessed from our website.