Inside the Botanic Garden stands one of the most charming museums in Australia — a Victorian-era collection of plant specimens, seeds, resins, dyes, fibres, and botanical products displayed in the original 1881 Museum of Economic Botany building. The room itself is a long, galleried space with polished timber floors and glass cases that have barely changed since they were installed.
The collection tells the story of how humans have used plants for food, medicine, and industry. Rubber from Malaya, quinine from Peru, opium from the Levant, spices from the Moluccas — all represented by specimens and explanatory labels in careful Victorian copperplate. Admission is free with entry to the Botanic Garden. Almost nobody who visits Adelaide knows this place exists.