Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Annual Report 2015-16 Connecting people to plants 2015-16 Annual Report of the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Above (l–r): The Bicentennial Conservatory in Adelaide Botanic Garden, Autumn colours in Mount Lofty Botanic Garden and Wittunga Botanic Garden in Summer. Front cover: Detail in the Amorphophallus titanum (Titan Arum), which flowered in Mount Lofty Botanic Garden in December 2015. Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium A GPO Box 1047 ADELAIDE SA 5001 T +61 8 8222 9311 E [email protected] W botanicgardens.sa.gov.au ABN: 36 702 093 234 ISSN: 0728-7704 ISBN: 978-1-921876-05-9 14 September 2016 Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Annual Report 2015-16 Contents Letter of Transmittal 1 Presiding Member’s Foreword 2 Acting Director’s Report 5 The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium 8 Plans and Objectives 9 The Board’s Strategic Plan 2012-17 9 Contribution to South Australia’s Strategic Plan 2011 10 Highlights, operations and initiatives 12 The year in review 12 Role, Legislation and Structure 48 Object of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Act 1978 48 Role of the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium 48 Functions of the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium 48 Membership 49 Meetings: General and Special 49 Governance Arrangements 49 Management of Human Resources 49 Contractual Arrangements 50 Fraud 50 Consultants 50 Overseas Travel 50 Asbestos Management in Government Buildings 50 Urban Design Charter 50 Freedom of Information Statements 50 Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993 50 Regional Impact Assessment Statements 51 Reconciliation Statement 51 Acknowledgements 51 Financial Report 51 Annual Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2016 52 Appendices 80 Appendix 1 | Publications 81 Appendix 2 | Presentations 87 Appendix 3 | Conferences and Workshops 90 Appendix 4 | Research Collaborations 91 Appendix 5 | Scientific Grants 93 Appendix 6 | Research Students 94 Appendix 7 | Organisation Chart 95 Appendix 8 | Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Staff List 96 Appendix 9 | Visitor Numbers 98 Appendix 10 | Additional comments on the Annual Financial Statements 104 Appendix 11 | Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide 105 Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Annual Report 2015-16 This page is intentionally left blank. Letter of Transmittal Goodman Building, Hackney Road, ADELAIDE SA 5000 [email protected] botanicgardens.sa.gov.au Tel 08 8222 9311 14 September 2016 Fax 08 8222 9301 Hon. Ian Hunter MLC Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Parliament House North Terrace ADELAIDE SA 5000 Dear Minister In accordance with the requirements of the Public Sector Act 2009 and Section 23 of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Act 1978, I have pleasure in presenting the annual report of the Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium for the year ended 30 June 2016. Yours sincerely Judy Potter PRESIDING MEMBER BOARD OF THE BOTANIC GARDENS AND STATE HERBARIUM Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Annual Report 2015-16 1 Presiding Member’s Foreword The Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Mediterranean Garden, Schomburgk Pavilion, is among South Australia’s oldest and most the jewel-like Amazon Waterlily Pavilion, the First cherished institutions – enjoyed by locals and Creek Wetland and the Little Sprouts Kitchen visitors, not only as a place of peace, beauty Garden. Stephen also led our organisation with and tranquillity but also as an organisation of a resolute focus on the health and safety of scientific and cultural integrity. The Gardens staff. As a result of this effort, the Gardens have and Herbarium are not only museums of achieved the flawless statistic of maintaining plant collections, both living and dead, but as zero lost time injuries over the past five years. On demonstrated by the achievements of this past behalf of the entire Board, I wish Stephen all the year, also a place of tremendous vitality and best in his future endeavours. vibrancy made possible by its supporting staff, partner organisations and sponsors. This past year has seen so many successes and accomplishments that it would be impossible to The depth and breadth of the work conducted sum them all up in this short foreword. There within the Gardens and Herbarium is vast and I have been, however, a few highlights that hope that the following pages will provide a clear deserve special attention. insight into our significance and value. Our success in attracting local, national and The Adelaide, Mount Lofty and Wittunga Botanic international attention over the summer months Gardens and Adelaide’s Botanic Park provide with the flowering of not one, but two specimens their visitors with lasting memories, even as the of one of the world’s most iconic plants - the Gardens themselves change constantly with the Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum or Titan seasons. People of all ages and from all walks Arum) – was a significant highlight. The two of life visit for many different reasons, with the flowering events (at Mount Lofty in December Gardens attracting 2.669 million people this past and in Adelaide’s Bicentennial Conservatory year alone. A simple walk through one of the in February) attracted over 16 000 additional Gardens, on any day of the year, will reveal the visitors to the Gardens and sparked a frenzy on diversity of our collections and other treasured social media, with over three million viewers cultural assets. around the world watching a time-lapse video of the flowerings. Moreover, the two flowerings The State Herbarium is a hub of scientific generated mainstream attention from media expertise. It is renowned for its trove of outlets from the local Messenger and 891 ABC knowledge on South Australia’s native and Adelaide all the way to global giants such as the naturalised plants, algae, fungi and lichens, BBC, ABC America, CNN, and The Guardian, and and is internationally recognised for its research seemingly everywhere in between. and advisory role in plant biodiversity and systematics. Meanwhile, the South Australian The construction of the Chris Steele Scott OAM Seed Conservation Centre safeguards our state’s Visitor Pavilion at Mount Lofty Botanic Garden threatened and endangered native plant species was also significant. This project demonstrated for future generations of South Australians. what is possible when enthusiastic members of the community band together to fulfil a The effective and efficient management of these common goal. The Board and the Adelaide invaluable assets poses an array of challenges. I Botanic Gardens Foundation are grateful to the am, however, extremely pleased with how our Mount Lofty Botanic Garden Support Group staff have delivered on the Board’s Strategic for its tireless work towards making this project Plan, the Department of Environment, Water successful, particularly in raising the $315 000 and Natural Resources’ Corporate Plan, and the required in cash and in-kind support to complete State’s Economic Priorities. the Pavilion. More than 130 donors contributed, and the entire project was completed in less than In May 2016, Stephen Forbes concluded his term two years. I thank all the people who supported as Director of the Gardens. I take this opportunity and made this concept a reality. I was privileged to acknowledge his immense contributions to attend the handover ceremony of what over the past 15 years. Stephen’s tenure saw has already become a landmark feature in the a transformation of the Gardens, including Garden. the delivery of projects such as the SA Water 2 Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Annual Report 2015-16 The Little Sprouts Kitchen Garden Visiting and populations to understanding the dynamics Program has grown from strength to strength. of ecosystems. They are also key partners in the I had the pleasure of co-hosting a special event formation of a new molecular genetic facility with our Premier, the Hon Jay Weatherill MP, called the Advanced DNA Identification Forensics in November, celebrating the success of the Facility, based at the University of Adelaide and program to date. Over 3600 children and 900 Flinders University, which will explore forensic adults participated in the kitchen garden program applications to research native plants and weeds. in its first year, and by all reports, the feedback from teachers and parents has been outstanding. The South Australian Seed Conservation With the South Australian Government’s Centre has continued to protect our state’s investment of $1.6 million in the kitchen garden endangered flora from extinction. The team has over four years, I look forward to seeing this again exceeded its projected targets, with the project grow. percentage of threatened plant species conserved ex-situ reaching 71% this year (up from 67.5% In October 2015, Wittunga Botanic Garden last year). This important program would not celebrated the 40th Anniversary of its opening be possible without the generosity of sponsors, to the public. First established as a private home donors and supporters. On behalf of the Board, I by the English-born estate agent and naturalist thank all those who have shown support for the Edwin Ashby in 1902, the grounds were initially Centre’s research and conservation efforts. based on a formal English design. Edwin was passionate about raising public awareness of This past year has seen several unique and the beauty and importance of Australian flora, exciting challenges along the boundaries of and Edwin’s son, Keith, bequeathed Wittunga to the Adelaide Botanic Garden including the the Board in 1965. It was opened to the public Government’s development of the O-Bahn City as a botanic garden in 1975. To celebrate its Access Project to the east of the Garden, and 40th anniversary, the Gardens presented a free the upcoming Old Royal Adelaide Hospital site community event attended by more than 3000 development to the west.