Orchid House visitor numbers continue to grow
The Orchid House at the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens continues growing in popularity with more than 18,000 residents and tourists visiting the free facility in 2023.
Fraser Coast Regional Councillor Daniel Sanderson said the Fraser Coast had the largest publicly owned orchid collection in Australia, with about 5500 flowers.
“It is wonderful to see so many people taking the opportunity to see rare orchids in flower with 18,471 visitors in 2023, up from 17,023 visitors in 2022 and 15,306 in 2021,” he said.
“The steady increase in visitor numbers in recent years highlights the increasing interest in the Orchid House, with September once again the busiest month coinciding with the Hervey Bay Orchid Society’s annual show.
“The orchids are regularly rotated so it is a great place to visit multiple times as you will see different flowers on display at different times of the year.”
Cr Zane O’Keefe said the Orchid House was doubled in size in 2019 with the support of a grant through the State Government’s Works for Queensland program, and further minor renovations occurred in 2021 to maximise the use of the facility’s space.
“The Orchid House is one of a range of fantastic facilities in the beautiful Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens in Urangan,” he said.
“The gardens boast a wide variety of established plants of the Wide Bay and Great Sandy region along with walking tracks, an Australian bush tucker garden, a bush chapel, a Chinese garden, the Orchid House and a natural playground.
“The gardens also now feature in a place-based app called ‘Agents of Discovery’ that uses smartphone technology and augmented reality to encourage children to go on an adventure mission to learn more about their natural environment.
“The Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens are just one of many amazing outdoor spaces on the Fraser Coast, which I encourage locals and visitors to get out and enjoy to stay healthy and active in our community.”
The Orchid House is open Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 2.30pm and entry is free. Tours of the Orchid House and Botanic Garden can be booked by calling the Parks office on 4125 9700.
More information about the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens and the Orchid House is available at https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/botanic-gardens-orchid-house