Araluen Botanic Park is located in a sheltered valley in the
Darling Ranges, approximately south of
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, Western Australia, in the suburb of
Roleystone. The Botanical Park covers an area of about .
There is a small entry fee to the park, and it is open every day of the year. There is a mixture of exotic plant varieties, however the park also contains many remnants of native bush.
History
Jack Simons
John "Jack" Joseph Simons (also widely known and referred to as J. J. Simons and J. J. "Boss" Simons (12 August 1882 – 24 October 1948) was an Australian businessman and politician, best known for establishing the Young Australia League.
Ea ...
bought the property in 1929 on behalf of the
Young Australia League (YAL) to use as a holiday camp. The YAL put the Araluen Botanic Gardens up for sale in 1985 (but retained Camp Simons). A private investor was going to redevelop the land, however the local communities rallied the state government to purchase the park. Encouraged by strong community support, the state government purchased the park in 1990. The Araluen Botanic Park Foundation became incorporated in July 1990 with the aim of working with the
Western Australian Planning Commission
The Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) is an independent statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia that exists to coordinate strategic and statutory planning for future urban, rural, and regional land use. The WAPC f ...
to restore the park. Since 1995, the foundation has managed the park under lease from the commission.
Facilities
Facilities include a gift shop, cafe with tearooms and function centre, parking, toilets, a miniature train and walkways. The old swimming pool is now a lake and the diving board has been removed.
Events
Araluen hosts annual events, including the Tulip Festival in spring and the Fremantle Chilli Festival in summer at
Fremantle Esplanade and the
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour
Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour is a marina in Fremantle, Western Australia adjacent to the more recently constructed Challenger Harbour. It provides large sheltered mooring areas and wharf space for vessels up to , refuelling facilities and ...
. From 1997 till 2007 an annual folk music festival was also held each spring in Araluen. Children's activity days are held during school holidays. Araluen recently sponsored the ANZMAC Mid-year Doctoral Colloquium Event.
Children's Activity Days website
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References
External links
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{{subject bar , auto=y , portal1=Western Australia
Botanical gardens in Western Australia
1930 establishments in Australia
State Register of Heritage Places in the City of Armadale
Darling Range