Who We Are and What We Do

Toowoomba's Exhibition Gardens are open from Friday 17 September to Sunday 26 September 2021, all money raised going to Charity.
Our gardens have an admission fee, which is donated to Charity. This differs from The Chronicle's competition gardens as they have free entry, and the winners are awarded prizes.
The exhibition gardens are private gardens, open for 10 days during The Carnival of Flowers. These Gardens have a variety of permanent plantings that look good all year round. On display are large and small gardens brimming with trees, flowers and ideas, which we hope will inspire you.
So come along and meet the owners, have a chat, get some advice or purchase plants (not available at all gardens)

Toowoomba Exhibition Gardens 

    A Short History

Toowoomba has long been recognised as the

“Garden City”.

Since 1950 when the first Carnival of Flowers

was held, The Chronicle organised the garden

competition in conjunction with the Carnival.

Ten times grand champion gardener in

Toowoomba, the late Cec Swenson decided

to withdraw from the competition to leave the

championship open to other gardeners.

He still wished his garden to be available for

public inspection during future carnivals because

every year local and interstate garden lovers

returned to enjoy the splendour of his garden.

He believed this would happen even though his

garden was not in the competition.

So the Exhibition Gardens were born.

The Swensons had been visitors to Leura Gardens

in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, and

were impressed by the organisation of the

Leura Exhibition Gardens and to some extent modelled

Toowoomba Exhibition Gardens concept on Leura.

It was decided to charge visitors to the gardens and

donate the proceeds to charitable organisations.

Since its establishment in 1973, there have been

numerous gardens displayed in this way.

Each garden owner selects a suitable charity of their choice and volunteers from this organisation sell and collect tickets at the gate.

Since 1973 approximately $742,000 has been distributed between the selected charities.  

Garden takings are pooled and divided equally between each charity.  

A SPECIAL THANKYOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS...
The Chronicle
Coroneos Nursery
City Golf Club
Kingfishers Cafe 
Abbie Lane
True Blue Garden Centre
Downs Steam 
Toowoomba Orchid Society
Native Society of Toowoomba
The Green Gardener
Simply Gorgeous Nursery 
The Mills Production 
Aaron Wockner Tiler 
The Grove Country Garden

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