Hi
I was reading this morning the charges up at the National Arboretum and spotted that they want to charge $200 “per image” for any commercial photography done up there and $200 an hour for non-commercial photography!!
Some of the other charges for “hiring” some of the spaces up there seem ridiculous as well including if you [...]

Chief Minister Gallagher has let it be known she’s been palm planting with the Sultan of Brunei at the arboretum:
ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, today joined His Majesty Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, for a ceremonial tree planting at the National Arboretum Canberra.
“A Trachycarpus Fortunei (Windmill palm) which, [...]

If you’re looking for ways to occupy the kids TAMS are suggesting the new arboretum:
Join in the hive of activity at the National Arboretum Canberra during the school holidays, with fun activities for children to take part in and over 104 tree species for them to discover.
“Canberra’s newest major attraction is open each day throughout [...]

Every new building has some teething troubles. At the Arboretum, it seems water is a problem. Also saw gutters and downpipes leaking and eroding the earthworks. It’s a magnificent building and I’m sure they’ll sort it out.

Martyo was taking photos for the opening of the National Abroretum and has sent these in for your enjoyment.
Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

Beautiful weather, last days of the school holidays, decided to take Junior Gasman (aged 9) to the opening weekend of the National Arboretum.
With consideration to health, environment, carbon and fun, we decided to ride our bicycles. From Belconnen to the front gate of the Arboretum, we had bicycle paths and lanes. At the main entrance [...]

[ 2 February, 2013; 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. ] Chief Minister Gallagher is letting it be known that there is to be a community festival to open the arboretum:

“The opening of the Arboretum is the realisation of many years of work to transform the site, which emerged from the ashes of the devastating Canberra bushfires, to be transformed into a place of beauty, tranquillity, [...]

Territory and Municipal Services have the thilling news that you can now find out what’s going down at the arboretum via social media:
With the opening of the National Arboretum Canberra only a few weeks away, new Facebook and Twitter accounts have been launched to help people engage with what is happening at Canberra’s newest major [...]

I was a little bit dubious about this concert before going. I was worried that it would just be ‘greatest (opera) hits’, and in one sense, that was true. But it was a privilege to see the wonderful soprano Sumi Jo, and Australians Amelia Farrugia and Stuart Skelton.
I had forgotten how [...]

Quite a vision driving down the parkway this evening – 6000 Pink Lady silhouettes have been planted at the National Arboretum for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Lot’s of people stopping for pics – perhaps a site closer to parking and access may of been easier for the public to enjoy – nevertheless, I’m always up [...]

Queanbeyan surveyors Clarke & Di Pauli are letting it be known they’ve been recognised at the 2012 Excellence in Surveying and Spatial Information Awards.
Queanbeyan’s Clarke & Di Pauli Surveyors have been awarded the NSW Excellence in Infrastructure and Construction Award for their major role in the surveying of Canberra’s National Arboretum Visitor’s Centre.
Clarke & Di [...]

This week’s summary of cabinet outcomes includes the appointment of a National Arboretum of Canberra Advisory Board.
And the sacred cows are:
– Mr John Mackay (Chair);
– Ms Jocelyn Plovits;
– Mr David Marshall;
– Mr Bob Winnel;
– Ms Anne Duncan;
– Mr Eric Koundouris;
– Mr Jon Stanhope;
– Professor Cris Brack;
– Mr Gary Rake; and
– Ms Fay Steward.

Celebrity Tree Planting continues at the arboretum with the latest one being Morgan Tsvangirai planting an African Walnut with Joy Burch.
ACT Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Joy Burch, today joined The Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, in a ceremonial tree planting at the National Arboretum Canberra.
“An African Walnut was planted today [...]

[ 24 November, 2012; ]

Andrew Barr has announced the lineup for this year’s Voices in the Forest at the Arboretum:

This year’s concert features performances by Sumi Jo, a Korean soprano, and Stuart Skelton, an Australian-born tenor. The Royal Military College Band, the Voices in the Forest Orchestra, and choirs and soloists from schools and colleges across the ACT will [...]

My family attended the Festival of the Forests on Sunday and the traffic was terrible, walking in from the car it was apparent that about 50% of parking spaces closer to the venue had not been used.
I wonder how much of the gold coin donation money went to pay for contracted parking attendants who caused [...]

The ACT Rural Fire Service is currently on scene at a three meter by nine meter mulch fire at the National Arboretum on the Tuggeranong Parkway.
Crews arrived on scene to find the mulch pile well alight.
Four heavy tankers and a bulk water unit are currently on scene to extinguish the fire.
Update to follow.
8:00am Tuesday 27 [...]

Maureen has sent in this picture of the Jon Stanhope memorial arboretum with just the subersive note:
Arboretum in full colour.
Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

Actew advise that their Canberra Discovery Garden is going to open amidst some hoopla this weekend at the arboretum:
The Canberra Discovery Garden, located at the National Arboretum Canberra, was created by ACTEW Corporation to provide an inspirational and educational demonstration of waterwise gardening to the public.
“We’re proud to launch this exciting new water conservation initiative [...]

The Australian has a gushing review of the weekend’s Voices in the Forest at the arboretum.
Buried down in the tail of the article is this little tidbit:
The organisers promise another next year; let’s have several. John Mackey, the Arboretum’s chairman, has revealed plans for a 6000-seat Greek-style amphitheatre. It could cost $30 million.
What better gift [...]

Linda has sent in these pictures with this note:
I took these two photos when visiting the National Arboretum whilst it was open during Floriade.
One image is taken from the lookout, and the other is a close up of one of the young Monkey Puzzle trees.
Enjoy

Got an image of Canberra to share with the world? [...]

Katy Gallagher has announced she’s been tree planting in the arboretum with the Mayor of Nara.
The planting of a Yoshino cherry tree with the Mayor of Canberra’s sister city, Nara, symbolised the strength of the relationship between the two countries, Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, said today.
The Chief Minister was joined by the Mayor of Nara, [...]

The good, soaking rain we’ve had over the last couple of weeks has fared well for The National Arboretum, which will be hosting its first major cultural event – the inaugural Voices in the Forest concert.
We’ve had a few tongue in cheek comments on RiotACT describing the Arboretum concert as ‘Voices of the Nascent [...]

Voices in the Forest are launching a suitably named ‘Strike an Opera Pose’ competition.
All you have to do is take a photo of you, a mate or a group of people ‘Striking an Opera Pose’ and upload it onto the contests application on the Facebook page.
The winning submission will win two tickets to [...]

The National Capital Authority has the slightly confusing news that they’re planting a formal entrance to the Lindsay Pryor National Arboretum, not to be confused with the National Arboretum> further up the hill.
Thirty-six deciduous trees will be planted at the entrance to the Lindsay Pryor National Arboretum this week.
Weather permitting, the National Capital Authority [...]

Andrew Barr has announced that he’s overseen the planting of a hoop pine in the Arboretum’s celebrity forest by author Thomas Keneally.
Mr Keneally’s novels have won many prestigious awards. In 1982 he won the Booker Prize for ‘Schindler’s Ark’, later published in the United States as ‘Schindler’s List’. The movie version was directed [...]

Liberal Leader Zed Seselja and Senator Gary Humphries are both in slack-jawed amazement at the astonishing scene this morning whereby the Commonwealth’s contribution to the Centenary of Canberra was announced to be a gift to Mr Stanhope’s pet arboretum project.
The long-awaited centenary gift to the people of Canberra turns out to be a gift to [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has proudly announced that the Commonwealth is going to chip in $20 million over four years for his arboretum.
As an extra bonus Prime Minister Gillard has planted a sapling in the tree park grown from the tree of knowledge, sacred to the memory of all Labor’s true believers.
Readers who have been waiting [...]

[ 12 November, 2011; ]

Chief Minister Stanhope is very excited about an opera festival he has scheduled for his beloved arboretum this November.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has announced that internationally acclaimed and GRAMMY nominated mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie von Otter will headline an evening of opera at the National Arboretum in November.

‘Voices in the Forest’ is the first major cultural [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has announced the official opening of “Stage 2 of the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park (STEP) garden at the National Arboretum”.
This is intriguing because the arboretum is not open, although apparently you can do openings for parts thereof. Also a park garden is a new concept which one suspects slipped past the acronym [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has proudly announced that Jimmy Barnes has planted a flame tree at the arboretum:
The Flame tree or Brachychiton acerifolius grows to 15 metres in height and is considered one of Australia’s most spectacular flowering trees.
The species was made famous by Jimmy Barnes in Cold Chisel’s 1984 hit song ‘Flame Trees’ – a [...]

Chief Minister Stanhope has announced an exciting new signature to his autograph collection.
No, wait, it’s another tree planted at the arboretum, this time by former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.
It had been previously thought that Mr Stanhope hated all Liberals. But a Liberal who leaves the Liberal party can be forgiven much one imagines.
Speaking at today’s [...]

[ 7 March, 2011; 11:00 am; ] Chief Minister Stanhope is letting us know that on top of luring a string of foreign dignitaries to his arboretum he’s now be able to star spot with some sportspeople:

Mr Stanhope said he was delighted that Mal Meninga, Lauren Jackson, Robert De Castella, and David Campese had agreed to attend the special tree planting [...]