Listing last updated on 21 Sep 2021.

Camden Park, New South Wales
Australia

Sir William Macarthur (December 1800 Paramatta NSW - October 29, 1881 Camden NSW), Australian botanist, plant breeder and vigneron

[From Hortus Camdenensis:] William Macarthur started his garden on the family estate of Camden in 1820 when he was just twenty years old. His original garden was 5 acres in extent and laid out in a geometric grid pattern, with intersecting paths enclosing large rectangular beds, a garden style in vogue at the time. This garden slopes towards the Nepean River and parts were no doubt inundated during flood. .....About 1830 William began preparing and planting a larger garden on the house site, on the top of a low ridge, more than 8 acres in extent and sloping away to the south, east and north. ....In May 1846 William completed his first glasshouse, 40 feet long and 12 feet wide, heated with hot water. This glasshouse, the Propagation House, greatly improved his ability to raise plants from seed, cuttings and grafts and provided a great impetus to his commercial nursery operations.....William Macarthur, guided by John Bidwill and assisted by Edmund Blake, created many new cultivars and hybrids, some, such as Erythrina x bidwillii, not seen before and others, such as his Camellia cultivars, still grown today.