Yarralumla Nursery, also known as the Government Nursery, was first established in Acton in 1911. It now occupies 10 hectares in the southwestern corner of the peninsula otherwise occupied by Weston Park, and a 21 hectare annexe at Pialligo. It is owned and operated by the ACT Government.

A government testing and experimental nursery was begun in Acton in 1911 on the advice of TCG (Charles) Weston.  This first nursery occupied the area now under the car park of the National Museum of Australia, the former site of the Royal Canberra Hospital. It also supplied fresh vegetables to the hospital and the Bachelors Quarters (later Lennox House) until 1915, when the nursery stock was transferred to the permanent nursery at Yarralumla.

Weston established a 40 hectare nursery at Yarralumla in 1914-15, the first plants being produced in 1916. In the early years, hybridisation and testing plants for local suitability were major concerns. Later, research laboratories were set up and one of the first eucalypt hybridisation programs was developed. In the 1970s the nursery pioneered the method of sowing seed from eucalyptus and other native plants directly into tubes for better root growth. It now produces about 80 species by this technique, many for Landcare groups and rural plantings.

In 1929, two thirds of the nursery area was transferred to what became Weston Park, taking with it many of the former research plots and specimen plants. Over the years other sections of the nursery have followed, notably the English Garden in 1993.

The first nursery buildings were completed by February 1915, but the oldest building currently on site is the Chief Nurseryman's cottage, built in 1923, and now used as a café and gallery. It was occupied by JP Hobday and his family, who also acted as caretakers until 1954. Many other early buildings are still being used.

The nursery was the primary source of trees and shrubs for Canberra’s public and domestic places, and also information about their care. In 1916 Weston established a demonstration orchard where spraying and pruning techniques could be presented to assist home gardeners. The free plant issue scheme began in 1930; by controlling the species available to homeowners, the planners wanted to create a link between private gardens and public landscapes. The scheme was halted in 1979 but reinstated in 1981.

From the 1950s to the early 1970s, the nursery hosted the Department of Health plant quarantine service and Parks and Gardens’ research department. It was home to Greening Australia in Canberra for some years until 1996. In addition to its other functions, the nursery is an important training venue for horticultural apprentices.

The largest wholesale nursery in the Southern Tablelands, it produces about half a million plants each year, and estimates that it provided 50 million plants in its first 90 years. Approximately 1500 species are propagated; about half are Australian natives, mostly from the local region, including endangered species. It also raises and distributes seedlings from the Lone Pine at the Australian War Memorial to help schools across Australia celebrate Anzac Day.

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