Australian Botanic Gardens Shepparton — Attraction in Kialla

We visited near the middle of March and it had been very dry. Most plants are suffering and many dying from lack of water. There is no water left in the lower section and we found the whole experience to be very depressing. We appreciate that many people are trying to make this a must-see attraction but at the moment they are having a tough time due to lack of funds and lack of water. The plans look good and we hope things improve when some rain has fallen We talked to a very nice volunteer there and she explained all the difficulties they were going through. Hopefully, when we revisit in a few years time, it will be very different. At this stage there is little to attract anyone to visit. Maybe some artists would donate some sculptures? Any companies willing to sponsor? Can we get schools interested in producing art? Just some suggestions. It would be nice to have some large trees but we were told that that cannot be done as it is a clay-capped tip. Good luck to the volunteers. It's a tough battle...

We were a bit gung-ho to check out these gardens on a 37C degree day and as you can see from the pics, it was mighty arid. That said, they were appealing enough for us to plan to return in the cooler months.

17 Apr 2019 - Revisited this Botanical Garden which is still in it's infancy. Many young nursery plants have been planted but it will be quite sometime before they reach their potential. The surrounding farmland is dry and desolate with the wind blowing the dust around as there is hardly any grass cover to speak off. The tall mound that is the botanical garden thus also struggles to obtain the moisture required to help the plants thrive. Great views across the country side once you reach the top...

What should I say? A work in progress, it was very dry well we have been through drought I guess. It will definitely be a great addition to Shepparton. We will be back to see the progress they have made in a few months or so. There were many places to sit and observe, the walk up to the look out is well worth it. There are no toilet facilities, a shame really because there are so many places where you can sit and have a picnic, lunch etc..We were impressed with some of the artwork around the place, the kids zone was a fine example of talented artists we have here...