View source for Olive Pink Botanic Garden

{{Short description|Botanical garden in Alice Springs, Northern Territory}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox park
| name           = Olive Pink Botanic Garden
| image          = Snakes and Goannas. Olive Pink, Alice Springs 01.jpg
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| image_caption  = Snakes and Goannas sign in Olive Pink Botanic Garden
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| location       = [[Alice Springs]], Northern Territory
| nearest_city   =
| coordinates    = {{coord|-23.7064|133.8849|type:landmark_region:AU|display=inline,title}}
| area           = {{convert|16|ha}}
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'''Olive Pink Botanic Garden''' is a {{convert|16|ha|acre|adj=on}} [[botanical garden|botanic garden]] in [[Alice Springs]] in the [[Northern Territory]] of Australia, specialising in plants native to the arid [[central Australia]]n region.
==History==
{{stack|[[File:Olive Pink.jpg|thumb|Olive Pink, founder of the garden]]}}
The 16 ha area that is now Olive Pink Botanic Garden was gazetted in 1956 as the Australian Arid Regions Flora Reserve after intense lobbying by the garden's founder, and first honorary curator, [[Olive Pink|Olive Muriel Pink]].
The garden is part of a substantial area of contiguous Crown Land that extends east from the [[Todd River]] on the southern edge of Alice Springs' [[central business district]]. Prior to 1956, the land was unoccupied and grazed variously by [[feral goat]], rabbit, and cattle populations, such that the vegetation on the [[floodplain]] was substantially modified and devoid of tree and shrub cover when Pink took up occupancy there in 1956.
Pink, with her [[Warlpiri people|Warlpiri]] assistant gardeners, spent the next two decades battling drought conditions and almost non-existent operational funding to develop her vision for the reserve. Together they planted a somewhat eclectic collection of trees and shrubs native to the central Australian region as well as various cacti, garden flowers, and introduced trees around Home Hut that could withstand the harsh summers. This beautiful garden is located in the mid of Alice Springs, famous for its native plants, and many species of animals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Craig |date=2023-05-01 |title=Things to Do in Alice Springs - An Unforgettable Outback Adventure |url=https://finderhub.com.au/things-to-do-in-alice-springs/ |access-date=2023-05-06 |website=Finder Hub |language=en-US}}</ref>
After Pink's death in 1975, the [[Northern Territory Government]] assumed control of the reserve and set about fulfilling Miss Pink's vision of a public area for the appreciation of native flora. During the next decade networks of walking tracks were put in place, the visitor centre built, extensive plantings of [[Acacia aneura|mulga]], [[Red gum (Australia)|red gum]]s and various other tree species established, a waterhole and sand dune habitat created, and an interpretive display installed.
The garden opened to the public in 1985 as the Olive Pink Flora Reserve, and was renamed Olive Pink Botanic Garden in 1996. The garden is managed by a voluntary board of trustees<ref>{{cite web|title= Department of Tourism and Culture Annual Report 2016–17|url= https://dtc.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/460121/dtc-annual-report-2016-2017.pdf |date= 30 September 2017 |website= Department of Tourism and Culture | publisher=Northern Territory Government |access-date=20 January 2018 |page = 40 }}</ref> which has employed a succession of curators to manage the expanding plantings and visitors' experience of the reserve.
Olive Pink Botanic Garden was listed on the [[Register of the National Estate]] on 30 May 1995,<ref>{{cite AHD|19144 |Olive Pink Flora Reserve, Tuncks Rd, Alice Springs, NT, Australia }}</ref> and on the [[Northern Territory Heritage Register]] on 18 March 2009,<ref>{{cite web |title=Olive Pink Botanic Garden |url=http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/heritageregister/f?p=103:302:4194613059563846::NO::P302_SITE_ID:590 |website=Heritage Register |publisher=Northern Territory Government |access-date=21 March 2019}}</ref> because of its strong links to Miss Olive Pink, anthropologist, campaigner for Aboriginal social justice, artist and visionary gardener.
The garden was inspiration for [[Anne Boyd]]'s orchestral composition ''Olive Pink's Garden'' (2017).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/03/21/olive-pink-inspires-anne-boyds-new-orchestral-work-premiering-at.html|title=Olive Pink inspires Anne Boyd's new orchestral work|author=Mandy Campbell|date=21 March 2017|access-date=7 October 2022|publisher=University of Sydney}}</ref> Boyd's 2022 opera, ''Olive Pink'', was premiered in the garden.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://limelightmagazine.com.au/features/olive-pink/|url-access=subscription|title=Hot Pink: Anne Boyd's new opera about trailblazing Aboriginal activist Olive Pink|author=Janelle White|magazine=[[Limelight (magazine)|Limelight]]|date=19 September 2022|access-date=7 October 2022}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{official website|https://opbg.com.au/}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Botanical gardens in Australia]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Alice Springs]]
[[Category:1956 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Gardens in the Northern Territory]]
[[Category:Northern Territory places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate]]
[[Category:Northern Territory Heritage Register]]