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🇦🇺Australia·Open to the public

Robert Clark Conservatory

Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Ballarat, Victoria

Robert Clark Conservatory, Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Ballarat, Victoria
Photo : Peter Stokes — CC BY-SA 4.0
Year
1995
Style
Modern horticultural greenhouse with an immersive walkthrough
Dimensions
About 400 m² of floral display space at ground level
« The third glasshouse on the site, and the first to let visitors walk among the flowerbeds rather than view them from a distance. »

The third conservatory built on the Ballarat Botanical Gardens site, this glasshouse was funded by a two-million-dollar bequest from Bob Clark, in honor of his grandfather Robert Clark, co-founder of the local newspaper The Courier. Opened in 1995, it broke new ground by letting visitors wander directly among the plantings rather than viewing them from a perimeter path. It hosts seasonal floral displays year-round, the most famous of which remains the Begonia Festival each March, drawing thousands of visitors.

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View on the interactive globe

37.55° S, 143.84° E

Further reading
The Glass House
John Hix
The definitive academic history of greenhouse architecture, from the Victorian era to modern structures.
 Glass Houses
May Woods & Arete Swartz Warren
A richly illustrated survey of greenhouses, orangeries and winter gardens around the world.
 The Crystal Palace
Patrick Beaver
The full story of the project that invented large-scale glass architecture.
 Greenhouse Gardener's Companion
Shane Smith
The practical guide for anyone dreaming of building their own greenhouse at home.

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