Kings Park Perth, Western Australia
A visit to Perth and Western Australia earlier this year provided Neil Ross, one of our committee members, with the opportunity to visit Perth’ s very own Kings Park, and also to learn about the work carried out by the Friends of Kings Park Perth. Neil travelled there with his wife, Margaret, and writes:
"The trip to Australia was a combination of holiday and family visit. Our son and his fiancée have been working in Perth since 2022 and we were therefore keen to see them, and to experience the Australian lifestyle! We stayed at their home in Fremantle for a month. Fremantle is Perth’s seaport, and a fascinating place, about 12 miles from Perth itself (see below).
The National Hotel, Fremantle - dating from 1868, originally built as a shop, later the National Bank, and the National Hotel since 1886; and arriving at Fremantle after a long journey.
In planning for the trip I was aware of Perth’s Kings Park. A visit to it was part of the schedule from the outset, but my interest was heightened on learning that Kings Park Perth, too, has a Friends’ group. Before travelling, contact was made with the Friends’ President, Chris Olney, who very kindly offered to provide a tour of the Botanic Garden which forms part of the Park.
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Kings Park Perth
Perth itself was founded in 1829 by Captain James Stirling(!), who was born in Lanarkshire. It takes its name from Scotland’s Perth. Fremantle, which was established a few months earlier, is a characterful maritime town (or should I say, city!). It has a wonderful, laid back atmosphere, with many well preserved ‘heritage’ buildings, and providing a nice contrast to the skyscrapers of Perth itself. Perth does however have much to offer beyond the glitz of the city centre, and has in recent years become a major tourist destination. The Park, which covers about 1000 acres, was initially called Perth Park when it officially opened in 1895. It was later renamed the King’s Park (the apostrophe was later dropped) to mark the accession of King Edward VII to the throne. It enjoys an elevated position, overlooking the Swan River, with fine views towards the city, which is within easy walking distance (see photos below).
Views across the Kings Park towards Perth
The Park has a strong connection with the Aboriginal people, part of it having been an important ceremonial area. It is also home to the State War Memorial (see photo below). Located within the Park is a restaurant, along with cafes, and an arts and gifts shop. The Park extends over a wide expanse of native bush, served by an extensive network of paths, with numerous car parking areas. Contained within it is the Western Australia Botanic Garden, with several thousand plant species indigenous to Western Australia, within a beautifully maintained setting. Of particular note is the giant boab tree (see photo below). It’s hard to believe, but this 760 year old (!) representative of the remote north west Kimberley area was transported more than a thousand miles on the back of a lorry to its new home.
The iconic State War Memorial with Flame of Remembrance and Pool of Reflection in the foreground’ and ‘The giant boab tree, a major attraction within the Park
The Botanic Garden is divided into several sections spanning a 44 acre site: highlights include the huge lemon-scented gums on the approach drive, the display of banksias, Grevillia and Hakka Garden, Eucalyptus Garden , and Acacia Garden. (Yes, that was post visit research - I’m not familiar with the different plant species!). The Conservation Garden (see photo) has a collection of Western Australia’s threatened plants arranged in regional displays. And, for a quite different perspective, the treetop glass bridge and elevated walkway afford spectacular views.
The elevated walkway among the treetops (left) and The Conservation Garden signage (right)
Friends Of Kings Park Perth
The organisation was established back in 1993, its purpose being "to provide support and assistance to Kings Park and the Botanic Garden, to improve the facilities and to enable the community to be involved in making the Park a special place for People and Plants" (not actually too different from our aim here in Stirling?). It is actively involved in conservation, bush land management and horticulture within the Park. Other areas include education, providing volunteer support, and raising funds to assist special projects in the Park.
It may be of interest, for this article, to say something about the structure of the Friends’ group and how it is funded. The Friends’ is an incorporated association and a registered charity. It is a sizeable organisation, well regarded and having significant status. It accounts to the membership and community by an Annual Report and a Special Purpose Financial Report. A Strategic Plan identifies the Friends’ focus areas, proposed actions and desired outcomes. The Friends’ website sets out more than a dozen policies, covering a wide range of matters such as life membership, scholarships, protection of members’ personal data, complaints, conflict of interest. Some of these perhaps hint at the scale of the organisation!
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The management committee comprises president Chris Olney, vice president (see below), treasurer, six committee members…and two part-time employees! It is supported by six sub-committees (each with about four or five members), which provide assistance in regard to specialist areas. For example, horticultural advice, events, wider community engagement.
What about funding? Sources include donations, plant sales and corporate membership, with businesses contributing to help the Friends’. In turn, the Friends‘ provide funds to the Park for research projects, sponsor scholarships for post-graduate students, staff and volunteers, and publication of a quarterly Park magazine.
Neil with Friends’ President, Chris Olney (left) and Friends of Kings Park Perth HQ! (right).
​​​A Friends’ Fund was created a few years ago to assist with attracting tax deductible donations for educational, horticultural, scientific and conservation work. A donation of shares from the huge Minderoo Foundation, a philanthropic body, together with subsequent dividends and member donations have enabled the Fund to support various projects within the Park. On looking at the Friends’ website I noted that the annual budget can run into six figures(!) and has included support for a Summer Science Scholarship, research into colour pigments present in certain flowers, and funding of a part-time orchid research scientist. Membership of the Friends’ costs from about £25 (equivalent) per annum. Associated ‘benefits’ include discounts in the Park’s cafes and on sales of native plants held by the Friends!
Reflections
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the Park twice. On my first visit, Chris Olney provided an exclusive guided tour of the Botanic Garden, and spoke about her role as President. A subsequent visit with my wife gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my recently acquired knowledge of the flora of Western Australia. However, having somehow managed to take a different route through the Botanic Garden, we saw different groups of plants, none of which I was able to name. So that didn’t go quite as planned! Those two visits served nonetheless to consolidate my enjoyment and appreciation of Kings Park Perth, and also caused me to reflect on the comparisons which might be made with our park.
The Kings Park is one of the world’s largest city parks, with wonderful plant collections, and a splendid location. Its description as a ‘must see’ for any visitor to Perth seems justified. And while we do not have exotic displays of flora in our own Kings Park ( although our Peace of Mind Garden is well worth seeing!), it does enjoy a similarly fine setting and has a rich history. And it, too, is enjoyed by large numbers of residents and visitors to the city.
Plainly, the Perth Friends’ organisation is able to attract an altogether different level of funding, enabling support to be given across a range of areas. But that reflects the status of the Park, and the financial and administrative resources expended on it by the Government of Western Australia.
The Friends’ is a large organisation - it even has its own offices within the Park (see above). It has about 1,300 members, of which about 260 are active volunteers. At the same time, the overall aims and objectives of the Friends’ are remarkably similar to ours, likewise some of the projects carried out, and elements of the organisational structure. So there is much that we have in common beyond our shared park name! Following my visit, I was in contact with Chris Olney, and we exchanged Friends’ newsletters, both of which featured an item on our meeting.
As a closing thought, given the connection which has been made, shared Park interests, and the strong links between Scotland and Western Australia, might we wish to explore whether this relationship could be developed? For example, is there potential for a twinning arrangement with the Friends of Kings Park Perth?’