A brilliant blue winter’s sky above the Conservatorium Gate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, close to Macquarie Street and beside the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. The surrounding bushes in bloom are adding a bit of colour at this time of year.
This wooden lattice footbridge over the Twin Ponds is one of many throughout the Royal Botanic Gardens. The water hen was contemplating going down the ramp into the pond.
The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial is a sandstone wall in the Royal Botanic Gardens which was built to commemorate the location where Queen Elizabeth II first set foot on Australian soil in 1954. It was erected by the governments of the Commonwealth of Australia and the state of New South Wales. I suppose it shows how much the queen and the royal family were held in high regard in those days. It stands beside the Fleet Steps which were constructed in 1908 to welcome the Great White Fleet, American Navy’s cruise around the world as a diplomatic mission of peace.
This bench in the Royal Botanic Gardens provides a good view of Farm Cove on Sydney Harbour. The seawall surrounding it is constructed of large sandstone blocks. It is bordered by a pedestrian walkway that runs from the Sydney Opera House through the Royal Botanic Gardens to the Domain parklands and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
In the Royal Botanic Gardens is a Dragon’s Blood Tree or Dracaena Draco, which fell over in May 2008. It won’t be lifted up to its former upright position because the trunk was damaged near the base and further movement may cause it to snap off. It has been fenced off to protect the branches of damage and reduce soil compaction around the roots. This tree which is over 100 years old is a native to the Canary Islands, where they can live up to 600 years in the wild. Its common name ‘Dragon’s Blood Tree’ comes from the bright red resin it produces, with many uses such as the production of varnish used by violin makers.
This view of part of the Sydney city skyline is from the middle of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
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