The Organisation

Botanic Gardens of Sydney is the organisation working on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, which is constituted under the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Act 1980 (NSW). As Australia’s oldest scientific institution, we are custodians of more than $1.2 billion in state significant cultural, heritage and botanical collections.

Botanic Gardens of Sydney is the organisation working on behalf of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, which is constituted under the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Act 1980 (NSW). As Australia’s oldest scientific institution, they are custodians of more than $1.2 billion in state significant cultural, heritage and botanical collections.

The Gardens is a leading entity within the NSW tourism sector with a focus on engaging international, national, and regional visitors. Encompassing Australia’s premier botanical research institute, Sydney’s leading outdoor live entertainment and activation precinct, and three world-leading botanic gardens and international tourism destinations, as follows:

• Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: One of Australia’s most-visited international tourist attractions and Australia’s oldest scientific institution.
• The Domain: Sydney’s leading outdoor live entertainment and activation precinct.
• Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan: The emerging flagship campus of the Australian Institute of Botanical Science – home of the National Herbarium of New South Wales and the Australian PlantBank.
• Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah: Australia’s highest cool-climate Botanic Garden within a World Heritage Area.
• Australian Institute of Botanical Science: Australia’s premier botanical research institute encompassing the education, science, conservation, and collections of the Botanic Gardens.

Trustees are critical in promoting and protecting these invaluable public assets, increasing public knowledge of plant life and conservation, and being a voice on behalf of the organisation.

The Role

There are 3 x Trust Board Members, which includes one member position on the Trust’s Audit & Risk Committee and one member position on the Australian Institute of Botanical Science Advisory Council.

The overarching role of Trustees is to provide Botanic Gardens of Sydney with sound governance, fiduciary and strategic oversight, and direction. The Trustees oversee the strategic direction of the organisation, ensuring that the public’s trust is upheld and that the objects of the Trust are carried out.

In addition to these general requirements, each Trustee is expected to bring specific skills, knowledge and expertise which are required based on the skills of existing Trust members. The skills being targeted in this round of recruitment are referred to as preferred skills (listed below).

The Trust meets approximately six times per year, and Trustees are required to attend all meetings. Trustees may also, from time to time, be called upon to meet outside of these Trust meetings and also to represent the organisation and sometimes be its spokesperson at, for example, external functions or meetings.

Selection Criteria

Preferred Skills in one or more of the following areas:

• Education
• Environment, Sustainability & Plant Conservation
• Financial & Commercial
• Legal
• Policy & Government Relations
• Technology, Innovation and Cyber Security

Other Skills:

• Accounting
• Audit (Internal & External)
• Capital Projects and Infrastructure
• Customer/Community Communications and Relations
• Event Management & Tourism
• Financial Management of Agencies
• Governance (planning, reporting and oversight)
• Historic/Cultural Knowledge
• Internal Control Frameworks
• People, Culture & Human Resources
• Performance Management Frameworks
• Philanthropy, Giving & Donors – Corporate and Private
• Policy & Government Relations
• Recreation/Public Spaces
• Risk Management
• Sales & Marketing (Incl. digital)
• Science, Botany and/or Biodiversity

*Trustees do not require all skills to join the Board.