A key function of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority is to conserve, manage, display and undertake research into collections of Western Australian flora, and to promote the understanding of biodiversity. The WA Seed Centre Kings Park is located in the Biodiversity Conservation Centre in Kings Park and Botanic Garden and has been involved in the collection, storage and testing of Western Australian native plant seed for over 40 years. Seeds from over 3500 different plant species are stored in the seedbank and maintained to International Standards. 

Seed collectionSeed collection

A major role of the WA Seed Centre Kings Park is to collect seed and plant material from priority species that are from threatened habitats, are rare or under risk of extinction.

Seed and plant material is collected from all over Western Australia in a number of coordinated collecting trips each year. Collection locations include the Kimberley coast over 3000 km to the north of Perth, the Great Victoria Desert in the east, and Esperance and Cape Arid in the south-east.

Seed store

Once seeds are collected they are cleaned and dried under carefully controlled conditions, before being stored in freezers at -18oC. Research by our Seed Conservation team indicates that many seeds stored in this way have the potential to live for decades, or even hundreds of years.

Declared rare flora and priority flora, which are managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, are seedbanked both at WA Seed Centre Kings Park and at the Threatened Flora Seed Centre, located at the WA Herbarium, as part of a risk management strategy for Western Australia's threatened flora.

Duplicate collections of seeds are also made available to Kew Gardens, UK to support the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership which provides funding to the WA Seed Centre Kings Park to help conserve our State's flora.

Plants and display

Plant material collected is propagated through cuttings, grafting or tissue culture and maintained at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, and seeds are stored under scientifically validated conditions. Plant material can then be further propagated, and seeds germinated, for research, propagation, display or rehabilitation work by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Resource

The book entitled 'Australian Seeds: a guide to their collection, identification and biology' was produced by our talented staff, features photographs of the seed of more than 1200 native plant species and provides a valuable resource to horticulturists, agriculturists and anyone interested in Australian flora. The book is available as an e-book.

Mounts Bay Road share path detours

The City of Perth will be undergoing works on the shared path along Mounts Bay Road from Thursday 23 March until Monday 8 May 2023. Detours through Kings Park will be in place.

School Ball parking

Temporary parking on Fraser Avenue will not be provided for buses, limos and cars, and fines will apply.

Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borer

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is responding to the confirmed detection of an exotic beetle, the Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borer (PSHB) in the Perth metropolitan area.

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City of Perth E-Scooter Trial Expands through Kings Park

Visitors will be able to hire and ride e-scooters within Kings Park as part of City of Perth’s E-scooter Share Scheme from Saturday 25 March 2023.

Support for Noongar Boodja continues

Fugro has generously renewed their partnership with the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (BGPA) to bring another three years of the very popular ‘Noongar Boodja’ education program to Kings Park.

Rare plants stolen from Kings Park

We're devastated to announce up to 900 of WA’s rarest orchids have been stolen from the Conservation Garden in Kings Park.

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