George Longley Building - so named to commemorate the man who devoted forty years of his life to the creation and development of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens from 1858 as 'The Gardener' and later as Curator to the end of his days in 1899.
The pre-fabricated building was purpose-built to accommodate the needs of the various groups within the Friends of the gardens membership. Project coordinator, Elizabeth Gilfillan, supervised the work over many months and was able to deliver a facility which the Friends are very pleased to call home.

The Western Bed was a major project which saw the reconstruction of the garden border between the red scoria path and the Gillies Street boundary. It was a long running project financed by the Friends with the work done in collaboration with the Gardens staff. An exciting aspect was the introduction of many new plant species. One very attractive section features drought-resistant plants with grey and silver foliage. It has been most pleasing to see massed growth despite the shortage of water. Other sections feature different colours and particular families of plants such as waratahs and eucalypts in the Australian garden. All plants have been clearly labelled and poles colourfully decorated with koori artwork create interest for visitors.