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Byron Shire
August 29, 2026

Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens – where health grows

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In bright sunshine or under gentle rain, the Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens is a calm, quiet, soothing place to stroll, relax, and recharge. Be still and some of the one hundred species of birds will shyly share their beautiful haven with you.

Featuring the native plants of the original Big Scrub, plantings began in the garden in 2002. Visitors can get up close to the plants, take one of the discovery paths, and read about the benefits of planting local plants in your home garden.

Geoff Walker enjoying nature. Photo Neil Walker

With an emphasis on regeneration, conservation, and habitat, the displays of native groundcovers, grasses, vines, and trees will inspire visitors to think again about what array of plants can make up a North Coast garden and the importance of attracting insects, birds, and animals as pollinators.

On Wednesday mornings from 8am to 11am, you can join the passionate team of volunteers who manage and maintain this ‘jewel in Lismore’s crown’. There is so much to learn about propagation in the nursery, or help with general maintenance, construction, data, archival collections, or technology.

Geoff Walker’s daughter, Bronwyn Ryan, granddaughter Bethany and great granddaughter planting a Native Tamarind to celebrate Geoff’s 100th birthday. Photo supplied FLRBG

Inspiring life member

One of the Friends of Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens (FLRBG) of the garden who originally met to plan the gardens in the 1990s, giving many hours of hard work, administrative, and botanical knowledge, is Geoff Walker, an inspiring Life Member. To mark Geoff’s 100th birthday in June and over thirty years of generous volunteering, his family planted a Native Tamarind (Diploglottis Australis) at the entrance to the Rainforest Walk.

Tweed Regional Botanic Gardens’ funds nursery

The FLRBG were saddened by the recent news that the Tweed Regional Botanic Gardens volunteers had decided to close their accounts and give up the difficult work of finding a suitable site to establish their garden in Murwillumbah.

The group kindly offered to donate some of the funds they had raised to the FLRBG to move the nursery to a more accessible site. It was a bitter-sweet moment when the cheque for over $11,000 was delivered. It has made the FLRBG even more determined to continue managing and maintaining the Lismore Gardens.

The Lismore Rainforest Botanic Garden is your very own regional Botanic Garden. Book your spot for the guided walks on the last Sunday of each month at 10am, or for your group at another time that suits you. Email [email protected].

Save the date for the (Re)Create Sculpture Exhibition opening on 20 September to see recycled and natural sculptures in a perfect setting.



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