A new garden for ancient plants

Created by biologist Dr Tonia Cochran is a “Jurassic Garden”, Inala, highlighting the Gondwanan connections of a range of plant families. The ancient ancestors of these plants thrived in the Jurassic period, when the Gondwanan super continent started splitting apart, around 183 million years ago, forming the land masses we now know as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and New Caledonia.

Across about five acres of former cow paddock, the garden,  is served by a wheelchair friendly pathway. In excess of 600 plants, representing some 50 plant families, are grouped according to species. In the proteaceae group are many plants indigenous to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America. 

Inala is located on South Bruny Island. Bruny Island is a fifteen minute car ferry trip from Kettering, 36km south of Hobart, the capital of Australia’s island state, Tasmania. The separation of Tasmania from the Australian mainland is believed to have been the last occurrence when Gondwanaland broke up.

Travelling again for Six Word Saturday

Bruny Island, Tasmania, November 2019

Author: kayrpea61

Retiree with interests in technology, travel, wine and gardening, not necessarily in that order.

21 thoughts on “A new garden for ancient plants”

  1. Puts us firmly in our place, doesn’t it- 183 million years? The protea are stunning. I wondered what you’d been up to. Home again now? Take care, Ken 🙂 🙂

  2. My kind of garden Ken. All those Protea remind me of the Cape and the wonderful Kirstenbosch Garden – I hadn’t realised until a few years ago that some were native to Australia too. I’d love to visit Tassie.

  3. Hi K – sorry to not have been here for a while – but your posts never appear in my reader….
    and then it would log m out when I would click your link – think I have it now
    anyhow, love the history here (a few of the pics are not showing up – there is a question mark – just FYI)

    1. Ugh! I’m not changing anything, as far as I know and no other similar reports have come in! Welcome back, Yvette. I’ve missed your wit 😉

      1. Hi – it must be my blog then – because it happens to a lot of site.
        I just realized it end of last month – and maybe some security settings I have will not allow me to go from link to link –
        but think I have it sorta worked out

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