The Australian Native Plants Society is a federation of seven state-based member organisations for people interested in Australia's native flora, both in aspects of conservation and in cultivation. A national conference is held biennially for members of the state-based societies. The combined membership is over 9000 people.
History
The Society for Growing Australian Plants was established in 1957 by a group of people who "pledged to promote the establishment and breeding of Australian native plants for garden, park and farm". By 1958 active regional Societies had been established in six States and the ACT with the Federal Association being formed in 1962 Initially the focus was on growing and learning about Australian Flora more for home and amenities plantings – members included botanists and horticulturists as well as enthusiastic laypeople. As time has gone on, there has been an increasing focus on conservation, and advocacy for conservation, of Australian Flora. The Wildflower Society in Western Australia has been particularly diligent in liaising with government bodies in that state and the New South Wales body is a member of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. The national association changed its name to the Australian Native Plants Society in 2008. Rare and "hard to find" Australian plants can be purchased at their plant sales, which typically occur twice a year, spring and autumn, in many regions.
Promotion of Australian flora
Over the years, many important figures in Australian Botany and Horticulture have been members, Alex George, John Wrigley, Rodger Elliot, Angus Stewart and Ivan Holliday to name a few. Over the years, important texts on Australian flora have been either published by members, or funded by SGAP, including:
Membership to these societies totals about 9000 people. The vast majority of members live in Australia, though there are members in Europe and America.
A quarterly colour journal, Australian Plants, has been distributed nationally since 1959, with each region producing a quarterly newsletter. The journal produced a very large range of materials which have been collated. Bill Payne was the journal's editor from its inception until 2001. It is a 48-page newsletter in A5 format. Text from the Trove entry, states: - V.1 no.1 has cover title "Commonwealth journal of the Society... V.1 no.1-3 each issued in several "reprintings" with differing pagination and contents. "Australian plants" is complemented by the Society's online publication, "Australian plants online," but the content of the two publications is completely different.
