Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Annual Report 2018-19

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1: Discovery and sharing knowledge OUR COMMITMENT We will share our expertise and influence beyond the gates of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, contributing to global scientific knowledge by leading projects in science, research and conservation, and working with external parties towards shared goals. YEAR IN REVIEW The generation of new knowledge in science and horticulture is central to positioning and maintaining the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria as one of the world’s leading botanical institutions. The work of Melbourne Gardens and Cranbourne Gardens benefits the urgent conservation needs of Australia, while facilitating the work of local and regional botanic gardens—as well as communities—both domestically and internationally. The research conducted within the Science Division, in partnership with our own Horticulture and Natural Areas teams and collaborators further afield, generates valuable insights into plant biology, ecology and conservation that serve to address the challenges faced in these arenas. Work published during the financial year has provided unique insights into the horticultural approaches to conserving Victoria’s rare and threatened wildflowers; the evolution, interrelationships and biogeography of particular plant groups; the biology of manganese accumulation in plant tissues; the responses of plants and ecosystems to changes in climate, geology and sea level; the role of sexual deception by native orchids to facilitate pollination by bees, wasps and fungus gnats; the factors affecting the success of translocations of artificially propagated native plants for conservation purposes; and a range of taxonomic work, including the identification of new species, such as the description of a new species of conifer from the Upper Cretaceous (about 95 million years ago), several new species of extant plants and fungi, two species of gall midges, a new genus of fungus and even the naming of a new Kingdom of eukaryote life, the Nucleariae, to sit alongside plants, animals and fungi. Table 8: Performance against objectives BP3 Output performance measure Quantity, Quality, Time, Cost (QQTC) Unit of measure Conservation activities have included seed banking work, nursery propagation and cultivation of threatened species, collection of living material of threatened flora for ex situ conservation studies, and research into the genetic health and longterm fitness of rare and threatened plants from Australia. To share this valuable knowledge, the team delivered more than 44 lectures, talks and conference presentations, and produced 37 peerreviewed publications and papers. Work has also continued on VicFlora, both to increase the coverage of plant taxa present in Victoria and to increase the proportion of entries with representative imagery. Additionally, the generation of basic entries for HortFlora has been largely completed, allowing for future improvement work to occur. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria achieved the following Budget Paper No. 3 output performance measures in the 2018–19 reporting period: Specimens curated in State Botanical Collection Quantity Number 2018–19 target 30,000 2018–19 actual 43,677 * Variance +13,677 Result ✓ 32 *Funding secured from private donors and trusts has enabled the Global Collection Project to employ four Database Officers for a fixed term, making a significant contribution to the number of database records and therefore to the overall number of specimens curated in the State Botanical Collection. Key ✓ Performance target achieved or exceeded, or expected to be achieved
Exemplar sheet of Eucalyptus globulus subsp. bicostata, imaged for VicFlora KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 8,000 endangered orchids comprising 14 species from five genera germinated by the Orchid Conservation Program for conservation and reintroduction initiatives. The VicFlora plant biodiversity knowledge database, which provides identification tools and information on all Victorian plants, now contains more than 20,900 images and has seen a 41 per cent traffic increase over the previous year. Science staff delivered 44 lectures, talks and conference presentations, and produced 37 peer-reviewed publications and papers, 35 of which are ISI listed. Senior Mycologist Dr Tom May and his co-authors named the Nucleariae, a new Kingdom of life (the second highest taxonomic rank) based on new phylogenetic data. Two specimens collected by Charles Darwin during the voyage of HMS Beagle (1831–1836) were rediscovered by Herbarium staff curating the Global Collection. A red alga (Amphiroa exilis) collected in 1832 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a knotgrass (Polygonum maritimum) collected in 1834 from Cape Tres Montes, Chile. More than 1,300 fungi collections (640 truffles, 705 macrofungi) were sampled for DNA. As a result, we have the first record for the genus Asproinocybe in Australia, in the form of A. lyophylloides (a new species being described from WA) and the second record for a species of Mycetinus in Australasia. The Global Collection Project databased and edited 21,762 specimens from the Global Collection. Herbarium Volunteers curated 13,757 specimens. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS BOARD VICTORIA — ANNUAL REPORT 2018–19 33
Page 1 and 2: Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Annu
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Chairman’s Fore
Page 5 and 6: A family enjoy a peaceful moment at
Page 7 and 8: Visitors admiring a tree on Oak Law
Page 9 and 10: ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS BOARD VICTORI
Page 13 and 14: Our Organisation Royal Botanic Gard
Page 15 and 16: “Our Gardens are the living heart
Page 17 and 18: “We always seem to find our way b
Page 19 and 20: Specimens from the State Botanical
Page 21 and 22: Ms Susanne Williamson GAICD Appoint
Page 23 and 24: EXECUTIVE TEAM AS AT 30 JUNE 2019 D
Page 25 and 26: Our People “We are the custodians
Page 27 and 28: Table 4: Details of employment leve
Page 29 and 30: Our Performance We embrace our resp
Page 31 and 32: Table 6: Financial results for 2018
Page 33: Our Achievements The Royal Botanic
Page 37 and 38: Genomics for Australian Plants (GAP
Page 39 and 40: VicFlora Usage September 2016 to De
Page 41 and 42: Field work on a high altitude rock
Page 43 and 44: 2. Inspiring Plant Learning OUR COM
Page 45 and 46: The marketing and tourism teams att
Page 47 and 48: Getting kids involved in Indigenous
Page 49 and 50: Bush Foods at Melbourne Gardens Ear
Page 51 and 52: The media launch of the STIHL partn
Page 53 and 54: Table 11: Overview of specific acti
Page 55 and 56: Brilliant Sun-orchid (Thelymitra ma
Page 57 and 58: Cranbourne Gardens HIGH QUALITY LAN
Page 59 and 60: The delegates at the Climate Change
Page 61 and 62: Table 12: Overview of specific acti
Page 63 and 64: Progress was made toward achieving
Page 65 and 66: Melbourne Gardens irrigation water
Page 67 and 68: Bianca Carnovale, Supervisor Visito
Page 69 and 70: Action 2018-19 Specific actions Ove
Page 71 and 72: Eyre Peninsula Blue Gum (Eucalyptus
Page 73 and 74: A dedicated seat at Melbourne Garde
Page 75 and 76: Corporate Partners and Sponsors Roy
Page 77 and 78: Herbarium Volunteers Marina Albert
Page 79 and 80: A Kangaroo Paw flower (Anigozanthos
Page 83 and 84: Balance sheet As at 30 June 2019 No
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Statement of changes in equity For
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2. FUNDING DELIVERY OF OUR SERVICES
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2. FUNDING DELIVERY OF OUR SERVICES
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3. THE COST OF DELIVERING SERVICES
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3. THE COST OF DELIVERING SERVICES
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4. KEY ASSETS AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT
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5. OTHER ASSETS AND LIABILITIES Oth
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6. HOW WE FINANCE OUR OPERATIONS In
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7. RISKS, CONTINGENCIES AND VALUATI
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8. OTHER DISCLOSURES 8.3 Reserves P
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8. OTHER DISCLOSURES Compensation p
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8. OTHER DISCLOSURES Standard/ Inte
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8. OTHER DISCLOSURES Infrastructure
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Independent Auditor’s Report pin
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Appendix One: Disclosure Index The
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Legislation Requirement Page refere
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Information and Communications Tech
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LEGISLATION The Royal Botanic Garde
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Cover image: Learning Facilitator,
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Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Annual Report 2018-19

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