A Herbarium is an official collection of dried plant specimens, which is used to name and describe plant taxa. It is often a botanical research institution, but may also be a collection within an academic institution. Herbaria house, maintain and database information about the plant and fungal specimens, and this information is made available to researchers, students, and the public around the globe.
In Australasia, more than 10 million specimens are found in Herbaria!
Herbaria in Australia and New Zealand are administered by a variety of government departments and educational institutions. They have the common goal of advancing knowledge of the taxonomy, distribution and conservation of Australasian flora.
The Commonwealth of Australia and each Australian State and Territory has an official Herbarium, primarily responsible for delivering botanical knowledge of their jurisdiction. In New Zealand, major Herbaria are located the larger cities of both the North and South Islands. Several smaller Herbaria are maintained by universities and other institutions in both countries.
Herbarium collections are never static; new specimens are added regularly, and ongoing botanical research refines taxonomic concepts and ensures the accuracy and appropriateness of botanical information. The online Australasian Virtual Herbarium provides specimen level information for all collections maintained in Australasian Herbaria.
Herbarium guidance and management is through the ‘Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria’ (CHAH) with support from the ‘Managers of Australasian Herbarium Collections’ (MAHC) and the ‘Herbarium Information Systems Committee’ (HISCOM). Each committee has a unique role in ensuring the Herbaria provide an ongoing, accurate and accessible window to Australasian flora.
The Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria (CHAH) comprises those administratively responsible for the major Australian and New Zealand Herbaria with the aim of promoting all matters of interest to herbaria in Australasia and to increase cooperation and understanding between herbaria. Its operations are governed by a Constitution and a Statement of Objectives
ADDRESS
Australian National Herbarium
CSIRO
GPO Box 1700
Canberra ACT 2601
Membership of CHAH consists of the heads of:
Australia
State Herbarium of South Australia, Adelaide (AD) [website]
Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane (BRI) [website]
Australian National Herbarium, Canberra (CANB) [website]
Australian Tropical Herbarium, Cairns (CNS) [website]
Tasmanian Herbarium, Hobart (HO) [website]
National Herbarium of Victoria, Melbourne (MEL) [website]
National Herbarium of New South Wales, Sydney (NSW) [website]
Northern Territory Herbarium, Darwin (DNA) [website]
Western Australian Herbarium, Perth (PERTH) [website] and
a Council Member representing the constituent collections of the National Collection of Fungi (including BRIP, DAR and VPRI) and a representative of the Australian University Herbaria.
New Zealand
Allan Herbarium, Christchurch, NZ (CHR) [website]
Te Papa Herbaria, Wellington, NZ (WELT) [website]
Auckland Museum Herbarium, NZ (AK) [website]
Meetings
The Council meets annually, the host institution rotating among the capital cities in the following order:
CANB, BRI, MEL, PERTH, AD, NSW, DNA, HO, CNS, CHR, WELT and AK.
The business of CHAH is governed by a constitution. Most matters are resolved by consensus.
Constitution:
https://www.anbg.gov.au/chah/constitution/CHAH-Constitution-Feb-2011.pdf
A ‘Herbarium’ is a botanical research institution, which in addition to housing, maintaining and databasing an official collection of dried plant specimens, is responsible for naming and describing plant taxa. This information is, for the most part, made freely available.
Australasian Herbaria are administratively embedded in a variety of government departments and educational institutions, collectively with the common goal of advancing knowledge of the taxonomy, distribution and conservation of the Australasian flora. New Zealand, the Commonwealth of Australia, and each Australian State and Territory has an official Herbarium, primarily responsible for delivering botanical knowledge of their jurisdiction, with several smaller Herbaria maintained in universities and other institutions.
Herbarium collections are never static; new specimens are added regularly, and ongoing botanical research refines taxonomic concepts and ensures the accuracy and appropriateness of botanical information. The ‘Australasian Virtual Herbarium’ [https://avh.chah.gov.au/] provides specimen level information for all collections maintained in Australasian Herbaria.
Herbarium guidance and management is undertaken principally by the ‘Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria’ (CHAH)[link] with support from the ‘Managers of Australasian Herbarium Collections’ (MAHC)[link] and the ‘Herbarium Information Systems Committee’ (HISCOM)[link], each with a unique role in ensuring the Herbaria provide an ongoing, accurate and accessible window to the Australasian flora.
