Our Native Garden

Gordon White Library has been a highly valued community facility for over 20 years. In 2019, council recognised that the original landscape design had come to the end of its useful life - being outdated and containing exotic vegetation that was inconsistent with council’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

In late 2019, council commenced a revitalisation project of the library gardens which included:

  • Revised landscape plans
  • Removal of existing vegetation
  • Replanting of garden beds using local native species as a demonstration site for council’s Free Native Plant Program

Find out more by reading the Case Study: Gordon White Library


Free Native Plant Program

Mackay residents are able to receive up to four free plants of their choice per year, with higher allocations available to schools, community groups and Land for Wildlife members.

You can visit Gordon White Library and see how native plants were used to revitalise our gardens before making your free native plant selection.


Share Garden

Located in the Courtyard at Gordon White Library help yourself to the herbs and vegetables you find growing.

Visitors are encouraged to:

  • Tend to the garden beds by pulling weeds and remove dead leaves from plants
  • Harvest the crop for your personal use at home
  • Propagate as per the plant identification labels and replant at home
  • Relax and watch the native bees at work or read a book and listen to the birds.