2026 Australian Capital Territory
Canberra
Australian National Botanic Gardens
Friends of the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG)
Thursday seminar series
‘Wattle in your pocket, the Bank-notable Wattles – science behind the Next Generation Banknotes of Australia’
Dr Phillip Kodela
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| (Front) Dr Phillip Kodela in front of Pat Wright | Australia’s national floral emblem Acacia pycnantha (Golden Wattle) features on the $100 banknote Photos: Michelle McMahon |
Getting to know wattles
Monday, 3 August 2026 – 1:30pm to 3:30pm
For Friends of the Botanic Gardens
The next Plant Recognition Group workshop will focus on native wattle trees and shrubs (Acacia, family Mimosaceae) that flower during winter.
The next Plant Recognition Group workshop will focus on local native wattle trees and shrubs (family Mimosaceae) that flower during winter.
Dr Suzette Searle (President Wattle Day Association Inc.) will host a presentation on the main identification features and will have selected samples on display.
Booking ESSENTIAL: Please send your name and phone number to plantname@friendsanbg.org.au
Acacia baileyana (Cootamundra Wattle) – a common sight blooming around Canberra in winter
Photo: © S D Searle
Wattle – themed walks
Mon. 31 August – Sun. 6 September 2026
11.00 am and 2 .00 pm one hour walks
Paint your own Golden Wattle in watercolour with Cheryl Hodges
at Calthorpe’s House Mugga Way Red Hill Canberra.
Book here:
Tales of Gold: the Dawn Waterhouse Wattle Collection
Calthorpe’s House
Mugga Way Red Hill
Details here
29 Aug 2026—28 Nov 2026
Tours run from 1- 4 pm on Saturdays.
Dawn Waterhouse’ Wattle Collection will be on display at Calthorpe’s House.
Parliament House Wattle showcase tour for Wattle Day Association members & friends
Inaugural tour led by The Hon Patrick Gorman and Australian Blackwood specialist sawmiller, Denis Brown, to enjoy the beauty and style of furniture, display cases and tables created from Australia’s wattles (Acacia species), and artworks that depict wattle.
9.30 – 10.15 am am Tuesday 11 August 2026
Wattle Corner’ at the Village Centre National Arboretum Canberra
Sun. 30 Aug. 2026
10.00 am – 3.00 pm
See: https://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/visit/whats-on/school-holiday-activities/wattle-corner
Drop by Wattle Corner in the Visitors Centre to hear about our national floral emblem and how wattle is part of Australia’s story.
Buy a ticket in our raffle for a basket of wattle-themed goodies!
The Wattle Day Association is hosting their annual ‘Wattle Corner’ at the Arboretum Visitors Centre to celebrate National Wattle Day. There will be some blooming wattle on display to smell and enjoy.
– Snap an insta-worthy photo at the wattle selfie-spot
Grow your own wattle at home: Wattle seed collected from the National Arboretum Canberra’s very own Golden Grove are available to purchase from The Curatoreum. Each packet of Golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) seed has enough to grow 10 trees up to 8m tall.
Grow your own floral emblem Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) – buy seed from the Curatoreum Shop
Photos: ©S D Searle
Wattle Day Walks & Talks at STEP
Sun. 30 Aug. at the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park STEO)
National Arboretum Canberra
11.00 am – 12 noon
& 2.00 pm – 3.00 pm
Celebrate National Wattle Day with The Wattle Walk.
See more than ten types of beautiful wattles coming into bloom and hear stories about our national floral emblem on this special one-hour guided Wattle Walk in Forest 20, the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park (STEP).
Meet your guide at the STEP flag near the main lower carpark (across the road and down the slope from the Village Centre.
You will need a water bottle, sturdy enclosed footwear and dress for the weather.
Jennie Widdowson (STEP) explaining a feature of blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) – Australia’s iconic cabinet timber
ACT’s Wattle Day Give-Away to schools
Monday 31 August 2026 at the Yarralumla Nursery
Be a part of Australia’s National Wattle Day activities and help support local biodiversity and add interest in your school ground.
Free wattles available for public schools of the ACT who need to email tccs.planting@act.gov.au before Thursday 20 August 2026 to register their
interest. Twelve hundred wattle plants will be available for collection (TBC – Monday 31 August 2026).
Further details for collection will be provided upon registration.
Fact sheets about each of the six following wattles will be emailed to the successful registrants:
Below: ACT Urban Treescapes Program team ready to give away wattle seedlings at the Yarralumla Nursery.
When: Monday 31 August 2026 (to be confirmed)
Where: Outside the ACT Yarralumla Nursery from 8.30 onwards. Registration before 20 August 2026 is required
For a fourth year running the Urban Treescapes Program Team in collaboration with the Yarralumla Nursery is giving away wattles for planting around ACT’s public Photos: ©Lisa Burgstaller
In 2025 890 seedlings of five different wattles ((A. rubida, A. dealbata, A. mearnsii, A. pycnantha and A. melanoxylon) ) were given away to 22 schools in celebration of Australia’s National Wattle Day (1 September). These included the iconic Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) – Australia’s national floral emblem – that happens to be native to the ACT.
Tuesday 1 September 2026 – National Wattle Day
National Capital light up
Enjoy the light-up in green and gold of national institutions around Lake Burley Griffin.
It was only in In 2025 Parliament House Canberra first lit up in green & gold for National Wattle Day to join the celebration in lights around the capital city’s Lake Burley Griffin.
L to R: Milton Dick MP, Senator Sue Lines & Patrick Gorman MP
‘Credit: Auspic, Belinda Hogg, Department of Parliamentary Services.’
Above: (L) The National Carillon and (R) the Captain Cook Memorial Jet
Above: National Museum of Australia
Above: Old Parliament House in green& gold