If you should ask a native for directions to the Botanical Gardens, you are likely to stand corrected that you are looking for the Botanic Gardens. Walking from the diminutive replica of the London’ Hyde Park, you pass the Church of England cathedral to which years ago all but a few misguided Irishman belonged as the established religion. Turn then into Macquarie Street, Sydney’s answer to Harley Street, past the old Sydney Hospital to which the reforming Florence Nightingale sent her pupil nurses, walk into Shakespeare Square, past a library more popular before the Internet, and enter the gardens past a plaque commemorating the martyrdom of the 140,000 horses that that served in the Desert Campaign in the First World War carried the Australian Expeditionary forces in World War 1 across the Sinai desert and of whom only one returned. “They suffered wounds thirst, hunger and weariness almost beyond endurance but never failed. They did not come home. We will never forget them.”

The gardens were founded in 1816 by Governor Lachlan Macquarie as a farm to grow food for the colony. They now occupy 30 hectares of waterfront overlooking Sydney Harbor and display 7,500 Australian native and international specimens, as well as offering and an obstructed unobstructed view of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge. You exit near the Art Gallery of NSW and admire a worldwide collection of modern, 19th century, and classical paintings.

The Gardens serve as a research center for plant science and conservation activities. It houses a collection of more than 1.4 million preserved plant specimens and runs research programs that prioritize species recovery for threatened species. Visitors from all over the world choose Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair as the best spot to capture Sydney Harbor views because it presents an unobstructed view of both the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. Visitors can experience modern botanical science through rotating exhibitions. Office workers relax there for lunch and families enjoy picnics on weekends while tourists explore native wildlife. The gardens host various events such as cultural activities, outdoor performances, and educational programs.