The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan is a scientific hub and showcases Australian flora amongst 416 hectares of rolling hills, lakes, lawns and gardens.
This is the traditional lands of the Dharawal people.
We gathered at the Visitor Centre and entered the beautifully landscaped Connections Garden. The garden beds display many native plants, helpfully marked with scientific and common names. The waterfall has a backdrop of ferns, cycads and palms icluding the Wollemi pine
Vibrant Kangaroo paw 
wattle
The Woolly Bush in honour of Don Woolley 90+
After morning tea at the Lakeside Pavilion we walked on the Central Valley walk between the lakes, starting up the hillside towards the sundial of human achievement and the view of Mt Annan summit
Tim tells the time 
The air was filled with the calls of many birds, including the flame-robin and a flock of red browed finch.
group at the summit, photo by Christine McA
On the descent we passed the Fig Tree Arboretum. The 42 species of Australian figs occur in many different habitats from desert to the coast andall have edible, but not necessarily palatable fruit.
On descent through the Connections Garden we joined the Woodland Walk. Once, this mighty forest covered western Sydney, shaggy gums towering above a buzzing grassy understory. Today over 92 percent of the Cumberland Plain Woodland is gone, and we work to protect the fragments that remain. This unique ecological communityis a vital habitat for native birds, animals and plants. The backbone of the woodland are our three maineucalypt species. The dark one with very rough bark is the Narrow-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra). The smooth streaky barked gum is the Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) and the fibrous grey barked one with smooth upper branches is the Grey Box (Eucalyptus moluccana).
The Australian Plant Bank houses the Trust's seedbank and research laboratories that specialise in horticultural research and conservation of australian native plant species, particularly those from New South Wales.
The walk protects marshy areas with boardwalks.
We passed the Monument to Stolen generations before lunch at the Woodland Picnic Area
and looping back along the Ironbark trail for coffee at the Cafe.
Walkers: Audrey,Bert, Christine McA, Cleona, Colleen, Don Wo, Grace, Karen, Michael F, Phyllis, Suzanne, Tim,Vreni,
Visitor:Coralie, Judy
Led by: Robyn Ma and Anne G, assisted by Phyllis
Photos: Robyn, Christine, Don, Audrey