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 108 December 2024 (PDF format 6.2 MB)
- An iconic Australian tree
- The secret life of plants
- Friends Briefs
- Friends Annual General Meeting
- Students Photographic Competition
- Friends-funded scholars
- Friendly Chatter
- Botanic Art Group
- Growing Friends
- Volunteer Guides
- Plant Science Group
- Photographic Group
- Nature Journaling
- Gardens Shorts
- Royal visit
- Friends-funded backpack
- Hire a venue at the Gardens
- Banksia Garden update
- How to know if an orchid is at risk of extinction
- Botanical Bookshop reviews
- The Littlest Penguin and the Phillip Island Penguin Parade
- Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu: Karrire kundenge karribolknan kunwarddehwardde
- Care of Australian Wildlife
- What’s on at the Gardens
- Thursday Talks: February to April 2025
Download previous issues
All archived issues are in PDF format.
| Year | Issue 1 | Issue 2 | Issue 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | April | August | |
| 2023 | April | August | December |
| 2022 | April | August | December |
| 2021 | April | August | December |
| 2020 | April | August | December |
| 2019 | April | August | December |
| 2018 | April | August | December |
| 2017 | April | August | December |
| 2016 | April | August | December |
| 2015 | April | August | December |
| 2014 | April | August | December |
| 2013 | April | August | December |
| 2012 | April | August | December |
| 2011 | April | August | December |
| 2010 | April | August | December |
| 2009 | March | August | December |
| 2008 | March | July | November |
| 2007 | March | July | November |
| 2006 | March | July | November |
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:
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:
| 2007 | winners | Sue and Byron Serjeantson, Boronia molloyae (Tall Boronia) |
| joint runners-up |
June Foster, Eucalyptus flindersii Edwin Rice, Acacia maidenii |
|
| 2008 | winner | John Turnbull, Eucalyptus cloeziana (Gympie Messmate) |
| runner-up | Liz Baker, Swainsona formosa | |
| 2009 |
joint winners |
Peter Davidson, Backhousia citriodora June Foster, Wilga (Geijera parviflora): Family Rutaceae |
| 2010 | winner | John Turnbull, Eucalyptus globulus |
