Tulip Time Festival Blooms in Historic Corbett Gardens

The heart of the Tulip Time Festival beats strong in Bowral's century-old Corbett Gardens, a picturesque public garden that has been a hub for locals to gather and enjoy the NSW Southern Highlands seasons for generations.

For over six decades, Corbett Gardens has been home to the Tulip Time Festival, which began in 1961 with a Rotary Club donation of 500 bulbs and has since become one of Australia's best-known flower festivals.

A Humble Beginning

Local historian Linda Emery shared the story of Ada Corbett, who campaigned for a public garden with a bandstand at its centre in 1910. "The paddock near her home, where the Corbett Gardens were established, was pretty terrible," Ms Emery said. "Called Denmead's Paddock, it was full of rubbish and an eyesore."

Ms Emery also revealed that Ada Corbett moved to Australia to help her sister run a ladies' college at Burradoo Park. "She married a naval commander called Watties Corbett, had one daughter and he then died almost straight away, so she was left a widow with a child very early on," Ms Emery said.

Tulip Time Evolves

The annual tulip festival has grown to include various activities, such as Tulips After Dark. However, Ms Emery admitted that she avoids the gardens during the festival, citing the large crowds. "There's too many people there, and I think most locals tend to not go to town during Tulip Time because you can't get a parking spot," she said.

Fabian Monteleone, head of the horticulture crew at Wingecarribee Shire Council, has been working on Tulip Time for the past six years. "We've got mixes of orange and yellows called strong golds, and the Fabio, which is one of my favourite bulbs," he said.

The gardening crew faces challenges in maintaining the displays, with wildlife such as cockatoos, possums, and rats known to damage the flowers. Mr Monteleone joked that he becomes a "movable scarecrow" as he tries to keep wildlife away from the flower beds.

A Review and a Future Direction

A recent review of Tulip Time recommended keeping the festival at Corbett Gardens while spreading more activities across the Southern Highlands to ease pressure on the park. The review found that the gardens were deteriorating under the weight of the event, which drew more than 70,000 attendees in both 2024 and 2025.

With some trees at least 100 years old, new features are taking shape across the park. "We're losing centrepieces like the beautiful crab apple that came down in a storm last year, so it's important we're planting for future generations to enjoy as well," Mr Monteleone said.