The iconic Tea House building in the Geelong Botanic Gardens now boasts a new covered verandah, providing customers at the WYM (Where You Meet) café with a comfortable, sheltered outdoor dining space.
This improvement was made possible through $150,000 of funding from the Australian Government's Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program.
Heritage Victoria issued the planning permit as the Geelong Botanic Gardens and Eastern Park are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register with State Significance.
Before plans were submitted to Heritage Victoria, ground penetrating radar technology was used to survey the tree root systems to ensure the new structure would avoid disturbing tree roots.
The works were completed by the Geelong-based construction company TRAK Constructions.
Federal Member for Corio, Richard Marles visited the new space last week.
Spanning 3.6 hectares, the Geelong Botanic Gardens is recognised for meticulously cultivated spaces dominated by mature 19th-century tree plantings, including rare exotic species alongside plant collections representing over 6000 species from across the world.
The Geelong Botanic Gardens is open every day of the year from 8am to 5pm (8am to 7pm during Daylight Savings hours) and entry is free.
