Southern Cross Medicinal Plant Garden honours Blackmore’s legacy

Both the garden and the herbarium are used in teaching and research for the University’s National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM), established thanks to the initial gift of $10 million by the Blackmore Family Foundation in 2018. Earlier this year, the Foundation donated an additional $10 million.

The NCNM offers courses in naturopathic, integrative and lifestyle medicine at undergraduate and postgraduate level and is home to an active research community. Southern Cross University was the first university in Australia to open a Naturopathy Clinic on campus, in 1998.

“The medicinal garden is an ideal teaching resource and home to some truly unique flora. With the explosion of natural medicines and an increasing interest in the role plants play in human health, we believe the garden will continue to play a fundamental role for many years to come,” said Professor Jon Wardle, Director of the NCNM.

In just four years, the NCNM has established a formidable reputation for its clinical trials of complementary medicines and pioneering work in the field of naturopathy and integrative healthcare.

The third annual Natural Products Future Forum, hosted by the NCNM, will welcome more than 200 attendees this week to Ballina to hear from international speakers and industry leaders from organisations such as the CSIRO, Therapeutic Goods Administration and Complementary Medicines Association among others.