Who are the Garden Friends?

Gardens Friends are people from the community who have become involved as volunteers at the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens. Gardens Friends Membership is made up of two major groups:

• Volunteer / Working Garden Friends  - get involved and get your hands dirty!

...and include

• Gardening Friends
• Herbarium Friends
• Information Desk Friends
• Walking Guides Friends

• Supporting / Non Working Garden Friends

• Come along on free guided walks or evening presentations
• support our wonderful ongoing projects with an annual joining donation

Information Desk Friends staff the first point of call for tourists and locals at our Gardens Information Desk, located at Administration reception on weekends. You may also like to learn and get involved with hanging exhibitions or mounting displays in the Gallery.

You make like to become a Walking Guide Friend  - showing visitors and school groups around the Gardens and imparting to them knowledge about our flora, fauna and cultural design elements - which we provide simple and easy training for. 

Some Gardens Friends can offer their skills helping out to collect information for our Newsletter and other administration work, whilst others get involved with collecting and pressing plant material as Herbarium Friends.

And of course - some like simply to "get their hands dirty" helping to plant out our new Stage 2 Gardens on organised planting bees as Gardening Friends - held monthly/bimonthly from March until October.

We really can offer something for everyone!

 What are the benefits of becoming a Gardens Friend?

• Become involved with planting bees - see that tree or shrub you planted with your own hands grow and give pleasure to others
• Meet locals and visitors by operating our Information Desk - for a morning or an afternoon once a month on weekends - chat, offer directions and help them enjoy Mackay
• Attend fascinating and information talks and presentations on our natural environment
• Enjoy exclusive excursions and learn something new on guided walks through the Botanic Gardens and on trips around the Mackay Region
• Make new like-minded friends
• Receive Garden updates, images and our newsletter sent straight to your door or inbox! 

You'll find a list of planned Friends events for 2008 on the right of this page

Aims & Objectives

• To support the ongoing development and the day to day management of the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, in accordance with the master plan and under the direction of the Curator
• To promote the role of the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens and activities
• To raise funds for approved projects and facilities
• To promote all aspects of the Volunteer Program
• To encourage members to apply formally for registration and training as a volunteer.

Membership classes are as follows:

• Pensioner $15
• Individual $25
• Family $35
• Club/Group $50
• Institution $50
• Corporate/Business $250

The Gardens Friends are an incorporated group working with Gardens Administration to create and tend to this beautiful and growing garden. Thanks to the generosity of our Garden Friends who give so much of their time, the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens will become one of the most successful and vital Botanic Gardens in Australia over the next 8 stages of development.

So don't hesitate - get involved! View all details on the attached pdf and fill out the application form. We'll contact you to schedule a tour of the site and an interview.

If you'd like to find out more - please contact Gardens Administration on 4952 7300 or email: botanic@mackay.qld.gov.au

Or contact the Gardens Friends Association directly:

Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens Friends Association Inc.
Secretary: Robin McWhinney
PO Box 6850, Mackay Mail Centre, 4741

Ph: 4952 2299 Email: robinmcw@a1.com.au