guided walks were introduced and an annual Botanical Garden Festival introduced. Flecker Botanic Gardens continues its important botanic role, extending its collection of endangered species from the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and providing assistance to both national and international scientific work. The garden maintains national and international memberships such as the Royal Australian Institute of Parks and Recreation, and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and is noted nationally and internationally for its collections of palms, gingers and aroids. Description The Flecker Botanic Gardens is bounded by Collins Avenue and McCormack, Goodwin and MacDonnell streets. Some plantings in this area need to be considered with respect to their possible age. The corner of Collins Avenue and McCormack Street along the western boundary has a group planting including two very large hoop pines Araucaria cunninghamii, a Cook pine Araucaria columnaris, a sausage tree Kigelia pinnata, and a large fig tree Ficus spp. The association of these species in botanical gardens was not uncommon in the late 19th century, as at Queens Park, Maryborough. Further north of this group of plants, towards Goodwin Street, the association of a particularly large rain tree with a blue quandong, a damson plum, a clump of bamboo of the same species as that in the Fitzalan Gardens and mature mangoes, is seen. Rainforest understorey plants line the creek bank and pathways in this area and again the association of a blue quandong, paperbarks and a Leichhardt tree is seen. The 1960s figure-of-eight walkway has persisted and Fitzalan Creek is crossed by two footbridges. The southern portion of the gully area has the oldest paving. A variety of paving materials are used, including bricks, concrete slabs and concrete "crazy paving." Retaining walls reflect this pattern: log retaining walls and concrete stone pitching in southern parts give way to block walls in northern areas. The materials used in this work are simple in contrast to the workmanship evident in its execution, which is of an outstanding quality. Railings made of galvanised pipe are placed as needed. Over time a number of these have been replaced with timber railings. Where necessary banks are retained with a variety of materials, predominantly small concrete slabs approximately high x long x deep, laid into the banks. Garden beds and path edges are built up and retained with flat and smooth rivers stones, generally the size (but not the shape) of lawn bowls balls,