The Tasmanian Arboretum
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The Tasmanian Arboretum is a botanical tree park (an arboretum) in Devonport, Tasmania, Australia.
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The Arboretum was incorporated on the 16th of May 1984.
47ha of farmland and remnant forest was purchased with Australian Bicentennial Grant Funding
The first plantings of woody plants to add to the collections was in 1986.
Additions to the site have been 1.8ha adjoining a crown land block that is leased. Combined they are described as the Hogg Creek Botanical Annexxe. The 13ha is in a high degree of biophysical naturalness although the steep sides of the valley allow light in and thus weeds to establish themselves.
Also 11ha was gifted in 1996 by the then North Forest products to protect the landscape values of the sites location, that is in a matrix of forest covered hills and cleared lower slopes in the rural hinterland of Devonport.
The current 58ha of the main site, encompasses a section of the Don River where it adjoins Melrose Creek, surface limestone formations, old limestone quarries dating from circa1860, associated tramway and railway formations and infrastructure asssociated with landscaping and managing a landscape Arboretum.
There are over 2500 plants in the geographic and thematic collections along with riparian revegetation. 64 species of birds have been recorded from the site including the swift parrot [Lathamus discolor] and the grey goshawk [Acccipitifer novaehollandae].
The Arboretum opens daily from 9AM to sunset and requests a donation from visitors so it may continue its work.
The organization, The Tasmanian Arboretum Inc., has a membership and is governed by an elected committee of up to 14.
Maintenance of the collections is by the volunteers. Development has been funded by a range of donors. The Devonport City Council grants $21,000 per annum.