Australia Landscape: Kew at the British Museum

26 January 2011

21 April – 16 October 2011
Admission free, British Museum Forecourt

Australia Landscape is the fourth landscape in a five-year partnership programme involving the British Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which celebrate the shared vision of both institutions to strengthen cultural understanding and support biodiversity conservation across the world.

The landscape will transit from the vegetation of Eastern Australia through the red centre (the arid desert covering the southern third of the Northern Territory and the North East corner of South Australia), culminating in a western Australian granite outcrop showcasing unique and highly threatened flora.

Swathes of strongly coloured Brachyscome iberidifolia (Swan River daisies) and Rhodanthe (everlastings) will add colour throughout the landscape. The interpretation will highlight approximately 12 ‘star’ plants in the Landscape and make connections between the habitat and the British Museum’s collection, as well as highlighting Kew’s work in Australia and links between the British Museum, Kew and global communities.

Professor Stephen Hopper, Director, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: “Kew is pleased to be working with the British Museum on our fourth landscape project. 2011 will see a glimpse of the fragile, threatened and strikingly beautiful flora of Australia in the heart of London.”

Notes to editors

Australia Landscape is part of the British Museum’s Australia Season. For more information about the British Museum’s Australia Season, sponsored by Rio Tinto, see http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/future_exhibitions/australian_season.aspx