Sherwood Arboretum botanic collection

Sherwood Arboretum was officially opened on World Forestry Day on 21 March 1925, with a planting of 72 Queensland kauri pines (Agathis robusta) along a central promenade. The original planting was undertaken in a grand opening by prominent citizens of the time, including the Queensland Governor, Sir Matthew Nathan and the future Lord Mayor of Greater Brisbane, William Jolly. Named 'Sir Matthew Nathan Avenue' in honour of the Queensland Governor, the avenue shares a special place in Queensland's history. Each tree is labelled with a plaque commemorating the person who undertook the original planting in 1925.

Figs are a keystone species in many tropical forest ecosystems. Their fruit are a key resource for a wide range of wildlife including mammals, birds and insects.

Some notable species of figs in the collection including the Hill's Fig (Ficus microcarpa var. hilli), white fig (Ficus virens), cluster fig (Ficus racemosa var. racemosa), Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla forma macrophylla) and the Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa forma glabrescens).

Dry rainforest communities grow on fertile soils and rocky terrain and typically experiences a long, dry period of low rainfall in winter and spring. Many plants have developed special adaptations to survive both wet and dry conditions. Situated in the northern section of the arboretum is a dry rainforest collection dominated by Brachychitons, commonly known as bottle trees. Bottle trees are renowned for their drought tolerance, with the ability to store water in their trunk allowing them to survive long periods of low rainfall.

Brachychitons featured within this collection include the narrow-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton rupestris), lacebark (Brachychiton discolor), broad-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius).

Mangrove systems are critically important habitats for a wide range of species, providing nursery, feeding and refuge areas and underpinning coastal food webs. Mangroves also protect the coast by absorbing the energy of storm-driven waves and wind.

Three species of mangroves dominate this community - the river mangrove (Aegiceras corniculatum), milky mangrove (Excoecaria agallocha), and grey mangrove (Avicennia marina). Take a walk along the riverside boardwalk to see this community up close, while taking in views of the Brisbane River. Huge remnant forest red gum (Eucalyptus teritcornis subsp. teriticornis) trees can be seen lining the riverbank.

The 1974 flood marker located on the hillside adjacent to the playground commemorates the January 1974 flood which occurred in Brisbane after three weeks of continual rain. Almost the entire arboretum was engulfed by the floodwaters. The marker serves as a reminder of the extreme weather events the arboretum site faces.

Protected from these floodwaters, the dry sclerophyll woodland, dominated by eucalypts, is situated on the hillside. Sclerophyll forests are associated with low soil fertility and are generally dominated by plants that have hard leaves adapted to drought and fire.