Evolution House

Historical information

Tucked away on the western side of the Temperate House, the Evolution House was a gift from the Australian government to Kew in 1949. Its prefabricated aluminium alloy frame was designed to resist corrosion, while its steeply pitched roof gave the optimal angle through which light could pass in winter. Heated by pipes connected to the Temperate House boilers, it was initially used to house Australian plants. However, it was too small to display much of the diverse Australian flora.

In 1995, the Australia House, as it was then known, was renamed and remodelled. Today, its interior displays guide visitors on a 3.5-billion-year journey through Earth’s history. A curving path leads from the planet’s early days as a lifeless, volcanic environment, through the emergence of simple plants such as Cooksonia to the Carboniferous period, 354 to 290 million years ago. It was during this time that clubmosses and other larger plants grew and fell into swamps, beginning the process that created the fossil fuels we use today.

The journey continues into the Jurassic period, when dinosaurs roamed among conifers, cycads and ferns. Displays of moist ferns thrive on rocks designed to replicate the geology of the time. Then, as visitors move nearer to the present day, flowering plants evolve and are pollinated by beetles. At the journey’s end a waterfall tumbles into a pool surrounded by moss-covered rocks. In the darkened room beyond, there are displays on different aspects of plants, such as how they attract pollinators, and descriptions of the functions of leaves, stems, seeds and fruit.

Things to look out for

The Carboniferous display features 45-metre-high models of club mosses, inhabited by giant millipedes and dragonflies.

Kids’ mission

• Can you spot the fossil plants in the rocks of the Jurassic? What sort of rock are the fossils found in and in what period did they grow?
• What problem is our use of these rocks causing today? Can you explain why?