A Major Opportunity for LCGD Students and Alumni
Design of the New Welcome Garden at Kyneton Botanic Gardens
LCGD Australia is delighted to announce a significant and rare opportunity for our student and alumni community: the chance to design the new Welcome Garden Area within the heritage listed Kyneton Botanic Gardens.
This initiative is a collaboration between Macedon Ranges Shire Council and the Friends of Kyneton Botanic Gardens, with LCGD invited to contribute concepts for the redevelopment of this important public landscape. The selected design will be constructed on site, becoming a permanent feature of one of Victoria’s most historically significant botanic gardens.
A professional opportunity few designers ever receive
Public garden commissions of this calibre, particularly within a heritage-listed botanic garden, are exceptionally rare. It reflects the strength of the LCGD community and the confidence that councils and horticultural organisations have in the creativity, professionalism and design capability of our students and graduates.
The project offers:
Experience designing for a historic public landscape
A major portfolio project with long-term visibility
A meaningful contribution to a culturally and botanically significant site
Collaboration with horticultural specialists, council and community groups
About Kyneton Botanic Gardens
Established in 1858, the Kyneton Botanic Gardens is one of Victoria’s earliest and most treasured public gardens. It is home to a remarkable collection of mature specimen trees, including 17 recognised by the National Trust of Australia, and a rich mix of heritage features.
Visitors can explore original bluestone garden walls, a striking wrought iron main gate, a restored gardener’s cottage, a historic 1902 drinking fountain and a scenic riverside walk along the Campaspe River. The gardens also include a charming rotunda, a fairy ring of mature trees and the inclusive, nature-based Kyneton Community Park.
This layered context makes the Welcome Garden redesign particularly meaningful, a rare chance to contribute contemporary design thinking to a site with more than 165 years of history.
What happens next
Shortly, LCGD will share with students and alumni:
The full design brief
Submission requirements
Site information
Key deadlines
Details regarding council and community expectations
An online briefing session and (if possible) a site visit will also be arranged to support concept development.
A garden that becomes part of history
We are immensely proud to offer this opportunity to our community and look forward to seeing the concepts brought forward and to celebrating the designer whose work will become a lasting part of the Kyneton Botanic Gardens’ future.
