Brisbane is set to become home to one of the largest bonsai collections in Australia, with the Japanese city of Kobe declaring their support for an upgrade to Brisbane’s Bonsai House on the 35th anniversary of the Brisbane-Kobe Sister City relationship.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said more than 50 bonsais were currently on display in the existing Bonsai House at Mt Coot-tha, with the collection expected to double to become Australia’s largest within years.
“Bonsai growing is a centuries-old art form and our beloved Brisbane Bonsai House has been putting a sub-tropical spin on this tradition by housing a growing collection of native Aussie plants for more than 20 years,” Cr Schrinner said.
“We want to celebrate our longest Sister City relationship by creating a world-class destination for people to visit some of the country’s most treasured bonsai trees, including some that are nearly 70 years old and are valued at thousands of dollars.
“Once complete, the new Bonsai House will be able to display up to 100 bonsai and feature one of the oldest trained Australian native fig trees.
“This provides the capacity for Brisbane’s collection to surpass the size and importance of the National Bonsai Collection in Canberra, which includes approximately 75 trees.”
Cr Schrinner said the design of the new Bonsai House would pay homage to Japanese design, featuring distinct wooden panelling and stone walls, as well as an area for bonsai workshops and teahouse for cultural ceremonies.
“Through our Sister City relationship with Kobe, Brisbane’s ties to Japan continue to strengthen and I thank them for continuing to support our city through this initiative,” he said.
“This type of support between Brisbane and Kobe has been the cornerstone of our long-standing relationship and is highly valued.”
Construction on the new Bonsai House is expected to begin in 2021.
For more information visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Council on (07) 3403 8888.