B6 PRINCIPES [VoL.34 Principes,34{2).1qq0. pp. 86-93 The Palmetum: Its Objectivesand Development Rosnnr Tucrsn TownsoilleBotanic Gardens,P.O. Box 1268, Tonnsuille, Queensland,Australia 4812 As Australia's 1988 Bicentenary inated the ground. The planted rain and approached,a Federally funded authority tamarind trees invadedthe mango orchard, was establishedto instigate and support making the bulk of the closed forest. heritage oriented projects nationwide. The As suburban residential developments resulting Australian Bicentennial Author- took place around the site in the late ity consistedof a national center in Can- I960's, various proposalswere put for- berra, with State Capital and Regional ward for its development. During this Committeesto evaluate project proposals period, Council performed some manage- then solicitedfrom interest groups. Project ment in the form of slashing, but did not criteria were broadly definedas thosewhich considerany developmentuntil the idea of preserved or enhanced Australian heri- a palm collection was proposedsometime tage. Numerousprojects were proposed. around 1983, apparentlyby local plants- The Townsville City Council submitted man Jim Darley. Impetus for the crucial two major proposals,both being centered furthering of the palm collectiongoal came upon providing lifestyle enhancing green via the enthusiasmof the then Parks and spacewithin the city area. The Palmetum Recreation Department Director, Jim was one of these, and here I will attempt Thomas. to define its origin and objectives and Thomas was a member of the Bicen- describe the methods used in its develop- tennial Environment and Gardens Sub- ment. Committee when fellow member Darley proposed a palm garden for a project. responsiblefor selecting the Originof the Palmetum Thomas was current site and suggestedforming a local Through a generous bequest, Council Palm Society to generate public interest obtained rhe 25 hectare site in the tran- and support. Darley provided in his sub- "The sitional region between suburban Annan- missiona concept termed Meridian" dale and Douglas. This site was originally (palmetum). From these beginningsarose o'The a dairy farm and had beenleft, after initial both Palmetum" and the North clearing of the original mixed open wood- QueenslandPalm Society. land, in a relatively undisturbed state. A The inaugural meeting was attended by mangoorchard wasplanted sometimeafter membersof the BicentennialEnvironment the turn of the century and tamarind and and Gardens Sub-Committee and inter- raintreesadded in severallocations. Pre- ested public, including the current Presi- sumablythrough someform of resumption, dent of The Palm and Cycad Societiesof the site becamepart of the massivemilitary Australia, John Batterham. The City's installations in Townsville during World Mayor, Mike Reynolds, who later opened W'ar 2, having a hospital sited near the The Palmetum,attended and spoke.The present-dayclosed forest area. After the support of the Mayor and Council was war the site becameneglected, an over- undoubtedlythe major factor contributing growth of various exotic weedssoon dom- to the project's eventualsuccess. I gg0l TUCKER:TOWNSVILLE PALMETUM 87 Thomasrecommended forming a Tech- Townsville was experiencing a prolonged nical Committeeto steer the project and drought and water resources were dwin- was the first Chairman of the new North dling fast. QueenslandPalm Society(N.Q.P.S.). The My involvement with The Palmetum Committeeconsisted of N.Q.P.S.members begins here, when hopes about its devel- and Parks and Recreation Department opment were being abandoned. I had technical staff. Thomas insistedthat public returned from nearly six months in the participationwas vital for the project, which United States and had contracted Ross turned out later to be something of an River Virus, a long-term mosquito-borne error. Variousproposals were put forward disease, named after the very river that and FederalCommunity Employment Pro- provided a boundary to The Palmetum site. gram funds were obtained to begin site I was unable to work and involved myself worksin 1984. in the issue of the project only because I Y'/hile some works were progressing,it felt it should succeed. Thomas asked me becameapparent that major development if I would co-ordinate the project, but could not proceedwithout substantialfund- knowledge of the worsening situation that ine. In 1985 Council submittedThe Pal- existed between Council and the N.Q.P.S. *"t.,- proposal,which was then still unde- made me decline initially. It was not until fined by any specific design or objective I rode my bicycle out to the site on a fine criteria, for Bicentennial Crant funding. day after drenching rain in December I9B5 The Parks LandscapeOfficer, Helen Paul- that I realized the site's potential and sen, is credited with obtaining grants for accepted the position, which Thomas had the construction of a water feature, The kept open for me. 'When Lake. Bicentennial funds amounted to I saw Thomas and said I was $171,950. keen to tackle the project, he immediately By late 1985 it becameapparent that asked for a report on my recommendations progresswas not satisfactory,and despite for its development and reorganized the N.Q.P.S.and Councilcommitments to the Palmetum Technical Committee. project, no developmentobjectives or plans I began working on a Master Plan in had been devised beyond the conceptual January 1986, with the new Technical stage. In looking through our files I can Committee which then had a single find variouscorrespondence from N.Q.P.S. N.Q.P.S. representative. I have to admit dealing with the need for a development here that progress never went fast enough olan. but becauseof unfortunate internal for my liking and that I eventually took problemswithin both The Society and the responsibility for planning in terms of the Department.no planof any merit waspro- objectives and layout. Although an overall duced. concept came quickly, its details and lat- I feel it is imoortant to look into the eral objectives and benefits took some nine problemsthat canarisethrough public par- months to formulate. ticipationin civic projects,if only to avoid makine similar mistakes in the future. It The Site-The Plan is cleai from our recordsthat the N.Q.P.S. had taken the project very seriouslyand The Palmetumsite is remarkablefor its were frustratedby our Department'slack topographicand vegetationfeatures which of steeringright from the start. This was immediately attracted attention. The land due partly to understaffingat a time when lay in a large triangular expanse of undu- pressureto produceother importantproj- Iating alluvials and black podzols with a ects was heavy, creatinga feeling of apa- meandering tributary of the Ross River thy at times. To make matters worse, winding through one boundary. To the PRINCIPES [Vor. 34 south were open grasslandwith small hills the plantings should only be located where and moist depressionsand flats. Centrally conditions are, and will remain, Iargely located was a seasonallagoon overlaying suited to the subjects (within their natural a deep claypan and on the north between tolerances) and that broader areas (i.e., a lateral drainage gully and the creek sys- habitats) should maintain an overall appear- tem was a large closed forest containing ance in accordance with their natural impressiverain and mango trees. The site expressions. Strict adherence to these demanded an aesthetic goal, its natural euidelines allows the achievement of most beauty could be too easily compromised if the oljectives outlined above. Firstly, by artificiality. Our budget, on the other the layout being entirely environmental dif- hand, demandeda cost-effectiveapproac,h, fers substantially from all the palm collec- having less than $240,000 to devetop tions I have seen or read about. The use nearly50 acres. of the natural features, rather than their The planning was guided almost exclu- contradiction, achieves the aesthetic goal "habitats." sively by the site's mosaic of with a minimum of cost. Using natural This is how the design concept, later to be vegetation associations and population termed Environment PreferencePlanning, densities makes for considerable interpre- evolved. Following discussionswith other tive and educational purpose while low- staff, I decidedthat we could developmost ering running costs as the plantings become of the land inexpensively and provide a relatively self-maintaining. The idea that diverse environment-oriented layout and the place should convey information about collection by providing as little modifica- palms primarily through its layout plant- tion as possible, such was the variety of ings is one that can be expanded further, habitat types presented by the site. The limited only by the designer's knowledge recognition of this potential leads to the of palms and palm habitats. formulation of the objectives which are The objective of limiting hybridization srrmmarizedthus: among the plantings is one that needs elab- oration. My own experience with collecting a landscapeand concept that 1. Create palms for the project soon indicated that are substantially different from other many Botanic Gardens and priyate collec- palm collections. tions are major sources of hybrid seeds, Make the site appealing and multipur- 2. most often unknown to the people at the pose. source. Hybridization among palms is in Provide the broadest array of palm 3. reality a problem, the seri0usness of which morphologies and adaptations obtain- is