The Friends newsletter Fronds is published three times a year in April, August and December. All members receive a free copy by post. A website version appears soon after publication.

Regular content includes:

• Articles about plants and gardens and the people who work with them, primarily on the development, collections and scientific research at the ANBG
• Garden Shorts – an update on projects in the ANBG
• Friends Briefs – all the news on Friends events, projects and people
• Regular updates on the work of Growing Friends and their plant sales, Botanic Art Groups and their exhibitions, the Guides and the Botanical Resource Centre, all illustrated with photos from the Photographic Group
• Book reviews
• ‘What’s On’ – a comprehensive listing of Thursday talks and other events organised by the Friends and the Gardens for the next four months.

Contributions

Contributed articles and photos for inclusion in Fronds are always welcome. See the inside cover of each edition for details. Email newsletter@friendsanbg.org.au for information or to discuss requirements for contributions.

In the latest issue

Fronds 111 December 2025 (PDF format, 9.26 MB) 

• Worrying trends in the ANBG Superb Fairywren population
• Lifting your game: How to improve flora and fauna photography
• Friends Briefs:
  • Friends 2025 AGM
  • President’s Report
  • Treasurer's Report
  • Welcome to new Council members
  • Director’s Report
  • Student profile - Don Beer Memorial Scholarship recipient
  • New Members Morning Tea
  • After dark walk
  • A visit to the STEP garden at the Arboretum
  • Wake up with the Birds
  • Snapshot: The 2025 student photo competition
  • Congrats to our student photographers!
• Friendly Chatter:
  • Botanic Art Group
  • Growing Friends
  • Nature Journaling
  • Volunteer Guides
  • Photographic Group
• Gardens Shorts:
  • Introducing our new Director
  • Tropical collaborations
  • Phil Hurle retires from ANBG
  • A holistic conservation approach to save the Tuggeranong Lignum
  • Shining a new light on evening tours
  • Spring clean for Crosbie Morrison pond
• Botanical Bookshop reviews:
  • A field guide to reptiles and frogs of the ACT - Brian La Rance, Wesley Read and Bridget Lunn
  • One koala: One hundred trees - Leesa Allinson
  • On this ground: Best Australian nature writing - ed. Dave Witty
• Alexandre Descubes' illustrations
• A message of thanks from NPCT
• What’s on at the Gardens
• Thursday Talks: February to April 2026

Download previous issues

All archived issues are in PDF format.

View an expanded version that links to the table of contents of each issue.

Extracts from some earlier newsletters back to August 2000 are available.

What's in a Name? articles

The series What's in a Name? written by the late Bernard Fennessy appeared in the Friends newsletter up to 2006. The articles are gems of botanical writing that combine interesting research and lively humour.

In 2005 the Friends published the 25 articles about plant names as a single PDF file (2,105 KB).

Bernard also wrote four articles about people after whom ANBG buildings and facilities have been named:

• Philip Crosbie Morrison
• Marian Ellis Rowan
• Dr Colin Barnard
• Dr Nancy Burbridge.

The Bernard Fenessy What's in a Name? Award for botanical writing

Following Bernard's death in August 2006 the Friends instituted an annual award for a Newsletter article in the style of Bernard's What's in a Name? articles. The award ran between 2007 and 2010. Award winners were: