We have a team of people – 16 ground staff on the Darlington-Camperdown campus alone – who work hard to ensure that our gardens are kept as immaculate as possible, and this includes everything from picking up the rubbish that is dropped (mostly by the ibis population!) to tending sick trees, planting and re-planting the lawns, and replacing broken pavers.
It is well worth spending an afternoon exploring the campus. You can download our CampusFlora app through iTunes. It will help you and your family identify the different trees and plants around the grounds. CampusFlora maps the locations of more than 1,000 individual plants on campus and provides a botanical description of each plant and interesting information about it. It’s a lovely way enhance your knowledge about native and exotic species while at the same time taking an enjoyable stroll around our lovely campus. You can find a link to it here: http://campusflora.sydneybiology.org/
With so many park benches and beautiful lawns, you might find a new favourite spot to sit and while the hours away. You could bring a picnic, and maybe a ball or a frisbee. I have seen people practising with hula-hoops and juggling on our lawns. The campus also provides safe paths on which children can use their scooters, or learn to ride a bike.
There are barbecues dotted around the campus, and members of the public are welcome to use them. You can find some on Gadigal Green, along with wooden deckchairs perfect for lazing in on sunny winter afternoons. The barbecues can be booked by contacting university.venues@sydney.edu.au.
One of my favourite hidden treasures is the Vice-Chancellor’s Courtyard, accessed through wooden doors in the north-west corner of the Quadrangle. Filled with camellias and azaleas, it also features statues of Mercury and Fortuna. The garden beds there were planted in the 1920s by Eben Gowrie Waterhouse, Professor of German. When in flower, it is a sea of colour, but it is a delightful place for reflection at any time of the year. Indeed, the courtyard has recently been used by a group of staff as a location for practising mindfulness during lunch hours.
Waterhouse was also responsible for planting our famous Quadrangle jacaranda. The tree sadly died just a few months ago, but later this year we will plant a new one, a clone of its predecessor. No doubt Professor Waterhouse would be very pleased indeed.
