Help grow a living legacy for natural medicine
On the edge of the lake at Southern Cross University’s Northern Rivers campus in Lismore, something extraordinary is growing.
The Marcus and Caroline Blackmore National Medicinal Plant Garden is more than a collection of plants. It is a living legacy of Australia’s naturopathic history and a vital investment in its future.
In 1932, Maurice Blackmore opened a Naturopathic Rest Home in Rockhampton, pioneering natural medicine in Australia. Decades later, a cutting from a frangipani tree that grew at that historic site was planted in this garden — symbolising the connection between the origins of naturopathy and the future of evidence-based natural medicine education and research.
Today, that future is being shaped by the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine at Southern Cross University.
Why this garden matters
It is:
- A living laboratory where students learn to identify, cultivate, and understand medicinal plants
- A research resource supporting clinical trials and plant-based investigations
- A conservation space protecting valuable medicinal species
- An accessible community space designed with inclusion in mind
- A national university asset that demonstrates the integration of traditional knowledge and modern science
When students walk through the Circular Garden, explore the Ethnobotany Garden, study in the Essential Oil Garden, or engage with the Australian Native Food and Medicine Garden, they are not just learning about plants — they are connecting with centuries of knowledge and helping shape the next generation of healthcare.
Growing the future of natural medicine
Interest in natural medicines has never been greater, and research in complementary and integrative health continues to expand. But a living garden requires ongoing care.
Plants must be maintained. Rare species must be protected. New plantings must be sourced and cultivated. Infrastructure must be maintained, upgraded, and expanded to support teaching and research.
While the establishment of the National Centre was made possible through extraordinary philanthropy, the ongoing stewardship of this living space depends on continued community support.
What your donation makes possible
Your donation to the Medicinal Plant Garden helps:
- Maintain and nurture existing plant collections
- Expand rare and culturally significant medicinal species
- Support conservation and sustainability initiatives
- Enhance accessibility for students and community members
- Ensure future health practitioners learn from living plants — not just textbooks
Every gift strengthens the future of natural medicine education and research. It helps ensure learning happens not only in classrooms and laboratories, but in the soil, the leaves, and the living systems that form the foundation of natural health.
Help keep this legacy growing
When you support the Marcus and Caroline Blackmore National Medicinal Plant Garden, you are supporting more than horticulture.
- You are nurturing education
- You are strengthening research
- You are preserving knowledge
- You are growing the future of natural medicine
Donate today and help ensure this living legacy continues to inspire, educate, and advance research for generations to come.
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