Australia, June 2009

Dreamtime place is occupied by the Western Australian Botanical Garden at Perth, a very beautiful place doing justice to dreamtime.

_{The Nyoogars Aborigines knew this already about 50 000 years ago – as well as the Amazon Indians – no different one from another…}

_{Today this Dreamtime place of the Western Australian Aborigines is the site of one of the most beautiful Botanical Gardens in the world – see below}

_{A the foot of Mount Eliza (Dreamtime place) is the permanent freshwater spring… today in the heart of this beautiful Botanic Garden}

_{Of the 500 different Acacia trees found in Western Australia alone, 60 are shown in the Botanical Garden and immortalized in the steps}

_{The Western Australian Botanical Garden shows many of the unique and endemic species of WA and in addition to large specific plant sections (like those of Banksia or Eucalyptus below) also entire grouping of the plant species restricted to one particular area, like those of the Jarrah forest (above)}

_{The amazing varieties of the fascinating Banksia species. Even the Woolly Orange Banksia (Banksia victoriae), the lower right one, is shown. And they do everything to protect their unique plants by building up the plant’s tolerance to the disease by careful application of phosphoric acid, and appropriate soil and water management}

_{Another member of this family (Proteaceae) is the beautiful endemic Pine-leaved Gevillea…}

_{…and this genus of the family Goodeniaceae was named after William Danpier (1652-1715), the famous explorer and Sea Captain, one of the most highly regarded map-makers and navigator of all times. During his world voyages he made also the first charts of Australian’s coastlines and currants and also discovered in Northwest Australia a new Archipelago later named after him. And Danpier had a very unusual associate on his 1703 voyage, Alexander Selkirk, a member of his crew who has marooned by his own with on Juan Fernandez Island. Selkirk’s story was retold by Daniel Defoe in Robinson Crusoe (1719) and it was Danpier who rescued “Robinson Crusoe” in 1719…}

_{…another endemic in the yellow (?) Feather flower (Verticordia chrysanthia) of the Myrtaceae}

_{Some Eucalyptus species down under, like E. macrocorpa, survive in the extreme dry climate of Northern Kwangan (hearthlands), only because of large grey-green-waxy leaves. Nature is unique…}

_{Also in the North-West these baobab-like trees (left) have evolved to survive extreme long dry periods like some of their cousins in Southern Africa. The Grasstree (Xanthorrhoea preissii) is a survivor across Australia in dry areas and – a plant of many uses for aboriginal people. Especially the Gum from the trunk is made into superglue when mixed with charcoal and kangaroo dung. (Unfortunately there was a recent fire in the lower part of the Garden recently)}

_{The twenty-eight Parrot (Barnardius zonarius semitorquatus) is one of the many birds in the Garden…}

_{Also beautiful wood ducks (Chenonetta jubata) take advantage of the water fountain in the Botanic Garden}

_{The multiply sights from the so called Kings Park and the Botanical Garden and its surroundings are breath-taking…}

_{This part of Western Australia (the Darling Scarp) is one of planets oldest landscapes (2,5 billion years old). And I appreciated the saying of “These stream are a vital water source for plants, animals and people”…}

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