Tom Wyatt

The Japanese garden at Rockhampton Botanic Gardens which was officially opened on 17 June 1982

Relocating to Rockhampton from Townsville in 1974 and holding a Certificate of Horticulture, Rockhampton City Council appointed Wyatt as the curator of the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens as well as the Director of Parks and Gardens in August 1974.[3][4]

In 1976, Wyatt obtained additional palm species for the Botanic Gardens which were renowned for holding the largest collection of such species in the southern hemisphere.[2] That same year, Wyatt investigated the possibility of establishing a tropical fruit arboretum to demonstrate the diversity of tropical fruit which could be grown in Central Queensland.[2] The arboretum was successfully completed in 1978.[2]

A major project undertaken during his curatorship at the Botanic Gardens was the construction of a Kenzo Ogata-designed Japanese Garden which commenced in 1979 following Australia and Japan signing the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 1976.[2] Constructed as part of the relationship forged with Rockhampton's Japanese sister city Ibusuki, it was officially opened by the ambassador of Japan to Australia Mizuo Kuroda on 17 June 1982.[5] In exchange, Wyatt helped develop and plant an Australian garden in Ibusuki in 1983 which included constructing a slab hut with Australian timber.[3][6]

In the early 1990s, Wyatt obtained seed material from Mexico and Zimbabwe which was planted in the lawn surrounding the Rockhampton War Memorial which is located within the Botanic Gardens.[2]

Wyatt served as curator of the Botanic Gardens until 1998 when a restructure at Rockhampton City Council saw his services no longer required.[7] However, he was asked to return to the role in 2001.[7]

A chimpanzee at the Rockhampton Zoo, 2017

Wyatt is credited with helping save two chimpanzees called Cassius and Octavius from being euthanised in Tweed Heads in 1986 due to suspected tuberculosis.[8]

After seeing a television news story about the plan to euthanase the chimpanzees after their mother had already been euthanased, despite being found not to have tuberculosis, Wyatt organised a secretive plan with Rockhampton mayor Jim Webber and councillor Jim Broad where they intended to rescue the chimpanzees and bring them back to the Rockhampton Zoo, which is located within the Botanic Gardens.[8] This was despite the Queensland and New South Wales state governments refusing to sign permits allowing the chimpanzees across the border.[8]

Wyatt and Webber drove through the night and collected the chimpanzees and were supplied with sedatives to keep the chimpanzees asleep for the journey back to Rockhampton.[8] With the help of a semi-trailer truck driver who was also part of the plan, the chimpanzee cages were loaded onto his trailer which were concealed with tarp and were successfully transported across the border and back to Rockhampton.[8]

Wyatt and Webber's efforts in rescuing Casius (or "Cassie") and Octavius (or "Ockie") have been credited with indirectly establishing a successful breeding program at the zoo as well as making the zoo popular with visitors.[8] Three baby chimpanzees have been successfully delivered at the zoo in 2018, 2020 and 2021, while there have also been two stillbirths.[9][10][11][12]

While "Ockie" died in 2013 from a heart condition, Casius celebrated his 50th birthday in 2021 and continues to live at Rockhampton Zoo and is the alpha male of the pack.[13][14]

Wyatt served as the curator of the Botanic Gardens until he accepted a redundancy package in 2008 following a public scandal surrounding his unauthorised culling of baby Ibis birds, which first came to light when two men working on a Jobs Queensland horticulturist course alleged that council workers had secretly culled at least 87 birds at the Gardens.[15]

At the time, Rockhampton City Council had just been merged with the three surrounding local government areas to form the new Rockhampton Regional Council. Outgoing chief executive officer Gary Stevensen said the alleged culling was being investigated by council and the Environmental Protection Agency with the matter being referred to incoming chief executive officer Alistair Dawson.

It was later reported that Wyatt had controversially culled the birds without proper authorisation in attempt to control the increasing population of Ibis and was subsequently suspended, issued with a $150 fine and officially reprimanded for his actions.[16]

Dawson was subsequently criticised by a number of sitting councillors for appearing to demote Wyatt from his role as Director of Parks and into a special "projects officer" role following the scandal.[16] Dawson denied that Wyatt was being demoted.[16] In a joint statement released by himself and acting mayor Rose Swadling, they said Wyatt would be retaining his title as Director of Parks but would not return to his regular duties and instead be relegated to working in his new strategic position.[16]

Wyatt ultimately accepted the redundancy package in October 2008.[17]

In a scathing editorial, local newspaper The Morning Bulletin condemned Rockhampton Regional Council for not being forthright with the community regarding the ibis culling affair, after which the council publicly apologised.[16]

Following the controversy, an official management program was introduced at the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens by a company called Ecosure in an effort to control its large Ibis population.[17] This came after wildlife authorities recognised that the large Ibis population posed health risks to the community while also becoming a safety concern for the adjacent Rockhampton Airport due to the increasing likelihood of bird strikes on aircraft.[17]

In December 2009, it was reported that the Ibis population at the Gardens had decreased by 69% since the program's introduction. However, the Ibis population continued to be an ongoing issue for the Gardens in the years which followed.[18][19]

Wyatt's Wonder Web playground attraction at Kershaw Gardens, 2018

Arguably, Wyatt's biggest accomplishment during his time with Rockhampton City Council was helping transform the old Rockhampton landfill on Moores Creek Road into a lush 50-hectare area of parkland called Kershaw Gardens.[20]

As the council's parks and gardens manager, he designed and developed the gardens for the purpose of cultivation, research and preservation of Australian flora.[21]

Becoming a bicentennial project, the gardens were officially opened as Cliff Kershaw Gardens by Harry Butler on 18 September 1988.[20][21]

During his campaign to be elected as a councillor at the 2012 local government elections, Wyatt was a vocal critic of the plan to demolish the old North Rockhampton railway station which had been relocated to Kershaw Gardens from its original site.[22] The plan to demolish the station was first proposed in 2012 with Rockhampton Regional Council citing termite damage as the reason.[22] Wyatt accused the council of neglect and questioned why the termite activity hadn't been noticed earlier.[22] The station was eventually demolished in 2017 ahead of the redeveloped Kershaw Garden's reopening following Cyclone Marcia.[23]

After Kershaw Gardens sustained considerable damage during Cyclone Marcia in 2015, the gardens were temporarily closed to allow for them to be redeveloped, which included incorporating a new central precinct with newly installed barbeque facilities, playground equipment and water play area.

One of the new attractions in the playground area was a spherical play structure which was named "Wyatt's Wonder Web" in Wyatt's honour.[24] At the official reopening, Wyatt was also presented with a 1:36 miniature replica of one of the new colourful leaf statues which had been erected at the main entrance to Kershaw Gardens.[25]