142 



gardens. From this account the following brief history has been 

 compiled. In 1854 a sum of £3,000 was voted by the Government 

 as a first instalment for the creation of a Botanic Garden, and in 

 1855 Mr. Francis was appointed Secretary of the Committee and 

 Superintendent of the Garden. Further sums of money were 

 voted in succeeding years, and a superintendent's house, green- 

 house and conservatory were built. In 1850 the first catalogue of 

 the Garden was issued, and in the following year, owing to the 

 growing importance of the Garden, Mr. Francis's title was altered 

 to Director and Secretary. . Collections of native plants were made 

 about this time, and one of these, by Mr. Waterhouse, from 

 Kangaroo Island, was of considerable value. 



■ 



In 1865 Mr. Francis died and Dr. Schomburgk was appointed 

 Director. In the following year an experimental garden and _a 

 series of Natural Order beds were laid out. 



In 1868 the Victoria Regia house was erected. The plant was 

 the first to he grown in Australia and appears to have flourished 

 remarkably well, for " it produced in the course of six months no 

 less than fifty-four leaves, the largest of which was 6 ft. 4 in. in 

 diameter, and forty-one flowers nearly 13 in. in diameter. The 

 growth of the plant was so vigorous that, notwithstanding the size 

 of the tank in which it grew, 36 ft. by 26 ft., it became necessary 

 to cut away two or three leaves every week in order to make room 

 for the young ones as they came." 



- 



In 1870 the second catalogue of the Garden showed upwards of 



,000 





mad 



some 



built. 



Palm 



■ 



In 1877 a new Museum was built, and the catalogue of the 

 harden issued in this year showed 8,500 species in cultivation. 



t F i r S? i? 77 *? 1891 there is little of general interest to record, 

 in 18J1 Dr. Schomburgk died, having been Director of the Garden 

 ior do years ; he was succeeded by Dr. M. Holtze, the present 

 Director In 189o the old Exhibition ground came under the 



admmistra ion o£ the Garden, and in 181)7 a typical orchard was 

 started on this crrmmrt Vmf ,,»,» + e j • \f « ,, ■ • r. 



+ rt \f«,,^ t *r n ' ao M »i«».erreu in tne ionowing 



to Mount Lofty Ranges, near Mylor, 16 miles from Adelaide. 



in T u a e ^ en ha ! , U ff T d ^nsWerably by numerous reductions 

 mJhfif? ' VaS? reducti °nof £1,150 per annum havim? been 

 Zewhl71 en X ??°A nd 1002 ' But S « 19 °5this «tate of affairs was 

 Qa?d7j La I p*^ b J ? n increase of £m on the grant for the 

 be^n increased ' ° h WM maintaine d * 1906 and has since 



» X^I? &^!>!!»^ W* **»,«• J*5 



from 

 Expe 



*Z^32t£^^3^^ 



