Recent Events

Plants respond to environmental cues to induce flowering, day length, cold temperature being the best examples. This ensures plants flower at an appropriate time. The response to these signals works through changes in the activity of genes. The talk will cover the advances in our understanding of these pathways.

Dr Elizabeth Dennis, a CSIRO Fellow, studies the genes underlying plant processes.  She spent many years studying the molecular basis of flowering for which she won (jointly) the Prime Minister's Prize for Science.

Place: Theatrette, ANBG

Topic: Biodiversity Research Program for Parks Australia

Speaker: Dr Judy West, AO, Executive Director, ANBG

Talk summary: Not only does Parks Australia manage the Commonwealth's iconic national parks, but it also undertakes and funds a range of research projects for scientific study, providing information for better park management decisions. Judy will provide an overview of this program with an emphasis on those with a botanical focus.

A symposium in honour of Dr Robert (Rob) Lesslie and his contributions to the assessment and mapping of land use and ecological condition and the use of this information in land use policy, natural resource management and conservation.

For more information click on the heading in the left-hand column.

Allan Cunningham was sent to Australia by Sir Joseph Banks to collect plants for the King's Botanical Garden at Kew (now Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).  He traveled via Brazil (1814-16), arriving in Sydney in late 1816 and died there in 1839. He joined Oxley in the first expedition into inland New South Wales, before accompanying Phillip Parker King on four voyages to chart the north and northwest coast of Australia. In his subsequent expeditions he became one of the most successful explorers of inland NSW and Queensland, discovering, among other things, the Darling Downs of Queensland.