The park was officially opened to the
public in
1933
and became a popular
venue for social gatherings.
It was
one of the first eco-friendly tourist
attractions in the country. José planted
m ore than
7000
trees and built the
first hydro-electric pow er scheme in
Australia, w hich powered not only the
entire park, but also provided electricity
to some nearby townships.
However, the park’s popularity began
to slow ly decline after José’s death in
1948
and it seemed as though his dream
w ould be lost to history.
Fortunately, Judy and M a rk Evans
bought the place in
1993
and formulated
a plan to put it back on the tourist
map. They revitalised the grounds and,
now, because of the garden’s massive
collection of rainforest and exotic plants,
as well as its significant role in the local
community, the garden is recognised as
a National Heritage Complex.
Tropical
treasures
Turn your garden into
a tropical paradise
with these exotic trees:
■ Cheese tree
(Glochidion ferdinandi)
■ Red cedar
(Toona
australis)
m
Weeping fig (
Ficus
benjamina)
u
Davidson's plum
(Davidsonia pruriens)
m
Blue quandong
(Elaeocarpus grandis)
■ Alexandra palm
(Archontophoenix
alexandrae)
■ Queensland kauri
(Agathis robusta)
■ Queensland umbrella
tree (
Schefflera
actinophylla)
1. The huge, majestic kauris that
line this avenue are among 7000
trees planted by José Paronella.
2. Mena Creek’s swirling waters
are used to run a private hydro-
electric plant, which powers the park.
3. Luscious tropical plants, like this
small orchid tree
(Bauhinia monandra),
add colour for much of the year.
4. These Brazilian plumes
(lacobinia carnea)
are handsome,
evergreen perennials with lovely pink,
red or purplish flowers.
5. The damp rainforest soil is ideal
for pagoda flower
(Clerodendrum
paniculatum),
with its masses of
flowers and huge glossy leaves.
Scene it before?
Paronella Park has
been used as a setting
for various movies,
such as
Sniper
and the
Bollywood epic.
Major
Saab.
It has also featured
in commercials and T V
shows such as
Sunrise.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, MAY 2011 bhg.com.au
191
