Nestled just outside Glenmorgan in Queensland’s Western Downs region, Myall Park Botanic Garden is a 130-hectare living archive of Australia’s arid and semi-arid flora. Established as a private labor of love, it has grown into one of Queensland’s most significant heritage-listed native plant sanctuaries.

History & Heritage

The garden was established in the early 1940s by self-taught botanist David (Dave) Gordon AM (1899–2001) on a sandy ridge of his pastoral property. Driven by a passion to preserve species that were disappearing due to land clearing, Gordon gathered seeds and propagation material from remote arid regions across Australia.

His wife, Dorothy Gordon, was an accomplished botanical artist who documented the flora in detailed watercolor studies. Today, the garden is stewarded by a non-profit board of directors, maintaining both the living collection and several Queensland Heritage-listed structures—including Gordon’s historic Seed Room, propagation nursery, and an on-site art gallery exhibiting Dorothy’s original botanical watercolors.

A Unique Semi-Arid Environment

Myall Park protects over 980 native plant species—many of which are vulnerable, endangered, or extinct in their native wild ranges—alongside more than 320 species of native fauna.

The reserve combines curated botanical garden “rooms” with untouched bushland ecosystems:

• Diverse Plant Divisions: Showcases collections of wattles (Acacia), eucalypts, mallee gums, eremophilas (emu bushes), and Western Australian dryland flora adapted to low rainfall and sandy soils.
• Wildlife Haven: With its natural lagoon, bird hide, and untouched bush canopy, the garden attracts birdwatchers tracking arid-zone honeyeaters, parrots, and fairy-wrens, as well as herpetologists studying regional reptile populations.

The Birthplace of Iconic Hybrid Grevilleas

Myall Park is renowned in Australian horticulture as the birthplace of Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’.

During the late 1950s, Dave Gordon planted diverse grevillea species in close proximity to encourage natural cross-pollination. In 1959, he discovered a chance hybrid between Grevillea bipinnatifida and Grevillea banksii, naming it after his daughter Robyn. With its cylindrical, deep-red blossom clusters and nearly year-round flowering habit, it went on to become one of the best-selling and most iconic Australian native garden cultivars in the world.

Other notable cultivars nurtured at Myall Park include:

• Grevillea ‘Sandra Gordon’ (with striking golden-yellow flower spikes)
• Grevillea ‘Merinda Gordon’
• Grevillea ‘Dorothy Gordon’ (identified in 2006, featuring soft foliage and mauve-pink blooms)

Bushwalks & Eco-Camping

The reserve offers an immersive outdoor experience with well-marked trails and overnight stays:

• Walking Trails: A network of walking tracks winds through both planted botanical sections and natural bushland. Highlights include the Grevillea Walk, the Lake View Trail along the lagoon, and interpretive paths through mallee and Chinchilla White Gum communities.
• Camping & Stays: The grounds feature powered and unpowered campsites, the newer Camp Brolga tent area, pop-up glamping setups overlooking the lagoon, a communal camp kitchen, and restored 1950s heritage accommodations like Avochie Cottage and The Quarters.

By shear luck the day we arrived was the Annual Spring Fair, Spring Day

The Annual Spring Fair (“Spring Day”)

Held once a year in late August to welcome the spring blooming season, the Spring Fair (Spring Day) is Myall Park’s signature community event.

• The Fun Run & Walk: The morning kicks off with the Janine Pechey Memorial Fun Run, featuring 3.5 km and 8.5 km circuits along garden trails and a mini-dash for young children.
• Exhibitions & Workshops: The day includes keynote presentations from visiting naturalists and wildlife experts (such as live reptile demonstrations or botanical propagation talks), open gallery exhibits, and guided botanical walks.
• Community Markets: Visitors can browse stalls featuring hard-to-find native plants propagated from the gardens, handmade arts and crafts, morning tea, and barbecue stalls.