The plant collections

The Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens has been designed to showcase and trial primarily local native plants from the Central Queensland Coast Bioregion.

This region incorporates Mackay and surrounding environs, west to Eungella, north to Proserpine and Airlie Beach and south to Clairview. A disjust section of the biorgegion includes a large area from Yeppoon on the coast from Rockhampton north to Shoalwater Bay.

Other Australian native plants and exotics from similar climates around the world are also grown for special interest or to show visitors how to "mix and match" these natives with plants that they may already have in their own backyards.

The Botanic Gardens display and research this flora in a number of ways - either representing an existing area or landform with a garden consisting of plants and imagery typical of the area - e.g. - the Finch Hatton Gorge Waterway Garden, Sarina/Proserpine Lowlands Garden etc, or with a theme that addresses the use of plants from a range of areas with similar needs e.g. - The Tropical Shade Garden (shade loving plants).

Natives and exotics are also used in specialised precincts that tell important stories of plants and people, such as the Heritage Gardens, Coal Garden and Ethnobotany Gardens.

Some key collections currently include: