The new $9.9 million George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens Visitor and Event Centre is now complete.

It is part of the Territory Labor Government’s Turbocharging Tourism investment to breathe new life into the Gardens, attract visitors, stimulate the economy and create jobs. 

Today the Chief Minister opened Darwin’s newest all-seasons Visitor and Event Centre, which provides a hub for visitors to learn about the Gardens’ history, buy locally crafted goods from the retail store and immerse themselves in the new multimedia room, with its wet and dry season experience.

The Centre includes an internal air-conditioned event space with folding glass doors that open to the Gardens and a new terraced Mini Amphitheatre. It is available to hire for small conferences, weddings and community events.

The visitor experience is further enhanced with the launch of a new mobile app featuring two self-guided walks - the multimedia - Our Tree Walk ‘Every Tree Has a Story to Tell’ and the educational Matboerrma Walk ‘Larrakia Stories’.

The Matboerrma Walk showcases 12 trees and their traditional Aboriginal uses with stories told by Larrakia people. The app is available from the Apple and Google Play stores, and visitors can download it via the Event Centre’s free Wi-Fi.

The Friends of the Darwin Botanic Gardens have also produced a booklet titled ‘Darwin’s Botanic Gardens’, which will be available in the retail store.

A free community event will be held this Friday from 5pm to 9pm for the public to explore the Visitor and Event Centre while enjoying the pop-up Malak Marketplace, children’s activities and more. 

Quotes from the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner:

“Our Government has delivered 45 jobs through this important $9.9 million Turbocharging Tourism project, and we will continue to see the flow-on effects through the delivery of events and programs at the Gardens.

“Creating new tourism products and investing in our facilities is crucial to ensuring the Territory meets the needs of today’s visitors, in a globally competitive tourism market.

“That’s why we invested in Turbocharging Tourism, to create jobs and deliver more money into the pockets of Territorians.”

Quotes from Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, Lauren Moss:

“With our investment in Turbocharging Tourism, the development of the stunning $9.9 million Visitor and Event Centre will enhance the visitor experience and offer a new venue within the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens.

“The investment brings the facilities at the Gardens in line with offerings from other botanical gardens in Australia and we are extremely pleased to see this project come to fruition both for the workforce and for our visitors.

“The event space is perfect for weddings, conferences and business events, and I encourage local businesses and event planners to get in touch with the team at the Gardens for a preview of the new event area and the facilities available.”

Quotes from Eva’s Café Owner, Jason Hanna:

“The Event Centre is a fantastic place for functions and an enormous value-add for local event planners.

“By having such an excellent all-season, all-purpose venue, the opportunities for weddings, conferences and small gatherings just got a whole lot more exciting.

“The Event Centre also provides another great choice for local businesses to hire a space they can tailor to suit their function needs.”

Media contact: Lisa Sennett 0436 929 858 lisaj.sennett@nt.gov.au