A unique medicinal garden at Southern Cross University's Northern Rivers campus has been officially named the Marcus and Caroline Blackmore National Medicinal Plant Garden.
The occasion was commemorated with the planting of a frangipani cutting from patriarch Maurice Blackmore's historic Naturopathic Rest Home, a Rockhampton facility that opened in 1932 to provide naturopathic treatment to the general public.
The planting is a symbolic union of Mr Blackmore's legacy in developing naturopathic medicines and treatment with the work currently underway at Southern Cross University to secure the future of the naturopathic profession through education and research.
Maurice Blackmore, father of Marcus, was an English immigrant who pioneered natural medicines and naturopathy, and later established Blackmores, one of the most successful vitamin and supplement companies in Australia.
"My father had a vision for the future of naturopathy and this garden represents the essence of that vision, located on a University campus. We need continuous research and education into the profession and practice of naturopathy and I am delighted to see Southern Cross University continue this work," said Marcus Blackmore.
Located on the lush grounds of the University's Northern Rivers campus, the Medicinal Plant Garden was opened in 1999 by ABC presenter Mary Moody. It is flanked by the Southern Cross University Herbarium that houses more than 6,500 specimens from 3,000 species.
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Both the garden and the herbarium are used in teaching and research for the University's National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM), established thanks to the initial gift of $10 million by the Blackmore Family Foundation in 2018. Earlier this year, the Foundation donated an additional $10 million .
The NCNM offers courses in naturopathic, integrative and lifestyle medicine at undergraduate and postgraduate level and is home to an active research community. Southern Cross University was the first university in Australia to open a Naturopathy Clinic on campus, in 1998.
"The medicinal garden is an ideal teaching resource and home to some truly unique flora. With the explosion of natural medicines and an increasing interest in the role plants play in human health, we believe the garden will continue to play a fundamental role for many years to come," said Professor Jon Wardle, Director of the NCNM.
In just four years, the NCNM has established a formidable reputation for its clinical trials of complementary medicines and pioneering work in the field of naturopathy and integrative healthcare.
The third annual Natural Products Future Forum , hosted by the NCNM, will welcome more than 200 attendees this week to Ballina to hear from international speakers and industry leaders from organisations such as the CSIRO, Therapeutic Goods Administration and Complementary Medicines Association among others.
