18/06/2026
We are very excited to announce our 2026 Taylor Sangster Lecture.
William Taylor and William Sangster played a significant role in the creation and development of Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. They were commissioned by the Daylesford Borough Council in 1884 to lay out the Public Gardens, which are now known as Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. Their design incorporated the extinct volcano of Wombat Hill, which remains a central feature of the gardens. The gardens are a registered Victorian Heritage Site and are home to some of the rarest, largest, and finest conifers in Victoria, along with majestic, historic deciduous trees and an extensive collection of unusual cool climate garden plants. The gardens are also known for their panoramic views, beautiful surrounds, and the unique beauty they have offered to locals and visitors since the 1860s.
Our Guest Speaker will be Elizabeth Langslow who will also be screening her film "Botanical Visions" - a horticultural history of Mount Macedon in the 19th century.
Learn how Australia’s most significant and beautiful collection of late 19th-century gardens began. Discover the realities of large-scale deforestation, and the influence of the plant-hunting movements on local nurseries and garden design.
We chat tree-side with Pat Kenyon, an arborist climbing a towering sequoia, uncover the secrets of a 150-year-old garden and visit the home of celebrated 19th century botanical artist, Ellis Rowan. Local legend and horticulturalist, Stephen Ryan, also explores how the botanical legacy of Mount Macedon continues to shape its gardens today.
A collaboration with The Gisborne and Mount Macedon District Historical Society and supported by The Public Records Office of Victoria.
