Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Annual Report 2018-19

Cranbourne Gardens
Communications and Media Engagement
In 2018–19,the Communications and
Media team adopted a proactive strategic
approach to increase awareness of Royal
Botanic Gardens Victoria to a wider
audience. By utilising strong media
contacts and new partners, the team
pitched, unique stories about science,
horticulture, learning, tourism and
programming, which resulted in 1,252
articles, an increase of 260 per cent from
the previous year.
Proactive pitching to the Australian Open
led to a press conference with men’s
champion tennis player Novak Djokovic,
covered in over 150 press worldwide, a
media doorstop with the Hon. Minister
Lily D’Ambrosio MP to announce new
funding, and a number of live crosses
reports, raising awareness of the Gardens
to a broader audience.
The Communications and Media team
was also involved in the successful
Melbourne Gardens Master Plan
stakeholder consultation, issues
management, government advocacy, the
End of Year Tax Appeal, and the Climate
Change Summit.
The team supported programming
and learning with the launch of Forest
Therapy, which received national coverage
in The Age, Time Out, The Herald Sun
and Channel 9’s The Today Show, while
Bushland and Pleasure Gardens secured
extensive ABC radio coverage to promote
NAIDOC week. The successful launch of
Branch Out and Botanica also occurred,
which led to exposure on Channels 7, 9, 10,
and ABC TV news as well as features in
The Herald Sun and The Age.
The Science team was supported via
the Spider Orchid story, Purple Pea,
Candy Spider Orchid, Toromiro, Darwin
specimens, and promotion of the Science
Seminar Series to press and on YouTube.
Horticulture was supported with the
launch of the Wellbeing Gardens, which
featured on over 60 media channels
including three TV stations. There was
also the promotion of the Raising Rarity
and Care for the Rare programs and
the Red Sand Garden restoration at
Cranbourne.
Support of partners has led to higher
than agreed media coverage for these
organisations including national TV
coverage. The team also supported the
Climate Change Alliance and Melbourne
Gardens Masters Plan teams to achieve
their objectives.
Communication materials were improved
with the redesign of supporter newsletter
Flourish, internal newsletter Tim Talks and
upgraded public signage.
Cultural Relations with China
In May 2019, the Programming and
Audience Development team visited
Nanshan Botanical Garden in China as
part of an invitation from Nanshen and
the Australian Consulate. The beautiful
mountain city of Chongqing formed the
backdrop at the Australian Plants and
Cultural Festival, a valuable opportunity to
share international knowledge, exchange
ideas about learning and program
development.
The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria team
was excited to explore the beautiful
gardens, share culture, unite and
promote new approaches to biodiversity
conservation in an Australian context.
The team delivered workshops to local
schoolchildren and families and led a
professional development session for
over 200 local environment and cultural
organisations.
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria benefited
at the festival from significant exposure
via billboards, speech presentations,
learning activities and a large replica of
Cranbourne Garden’s Red Sand Garden
and Temple of the Winds, brought
together for the first time.
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria will
continue to celebrate our engagement
with China through the introduction
of new multilingual plant labels in
the Southern China Collection at
Melbourne Gardens.
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