The Botanical Resource Centre is a self-help plant identification service at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. It is located in the Ellis Rowan Building at the Gardens, adjacent to the Friends’ Lounge.

The Centre houses the Public Reference Herbarium, which is a collection of dried plant specimens representing the native and naturalised plants of the ACT and southern NSW. It also contains computers for access to interactive plant identification tools and links to the internet, an extensive library of botanical reference books and a microscope.

The Centre is available for use by members of the public between 9.30 and 4.30 every day. Before using the Centre for the first time, it is necessary to have an introductory session with a facilitator. The Centre is staffed by facilitators every Thursday between 1.30 pm and 4.00 pm.

The Centre is a joint initiative of the Gardens and the Friends. The Friends provided funds for the fit-out and recruited twenty volunteer facilitators to help users identify plants.

The Centre was opened on 15 May 2008 by Mrs Marlena Jeffery, Friends’ Patron at that time.

The link to the ANBG webpage is http://www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/prh/index.html

Her Excellency Mrs Marlena Jeffery (seated) using an interactive plant
identification key in the Botanic Resource Centre. Others present are
(standing L-R) Margaret Webber, Anne Duncan, Lesley Harland.
Photo by Barry Brown