Located on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, this 30 hectare site was originally planted by Professor Pryor from 1954 to 1957. The impetus for the planting was a request from the then Governor General, Sir William Slim, for an improved northerly view from Government House.
Before 2001, the Arboretum had been damaged in bushfires, and for many years, much of it was in poor condition with the effects of droughts clearly evident.
As a joint Commonwealth and ACT Government initiative, the site was gazetted in June 2001 as the Lindsay Pryor National Arboretum. It commemorates the contribution to the nation of the late Emeritus Professor Lindsay Pryor AO (1915 – 1998), an eminent Australian forest scientist, botanist and landscape architect.
The National Capital Authority (NCA) now manages the Arboretum as a place for recreation, scientific research and education, in recognition of the great importance of trees and forests to Australia.
The area has become a popular walking area, through mature trees, beside Lake Burley Griffin, and with views across to Weston Park.
The enhancement of the Arboretum continues with designs for toilets and interpretive signs being developed to provide more amenity for visitors. These will be progressed in the coming years.
The LPNA Master Plan is to provide a design strategy that will successfully further develop the area as a forested park primarily for recreation and education with increased facilities for these purposes.
In summary the Master Plan addresses the following key site requirements:
It is envisaged that the LPNA will:
For further information, please contact the NCA Plan Team on info@nca.gov.au or 02 6271 2888.
Our work is on the land of the Ngunnawal People, Ngunnawal Country. We pay our respects to their Elders – past, present and emerging.