History
The area that was now Bogor Botanical Gardens was part of the samida (man made forest) that was established at least around the era when Sri Baduga Maharaja (Prabu Siliwangi, 1474-1513) rules the Sunda Kingdom, as written in the Batutulis inscription. This forest was created to protect seeds of rare woods. Another similar samida was established near the current border between Bogor and Cianjur, called Ciung Wanara Forest. This forest was neglected after the Sunda Kingdom was defeated by the Banten Sultanate.
In 1744, the Dutch East India Company established a garden and mansion at the site of the present Botanical Gardens in Buitenzorg (now known as Bogor).
In 1811, Stamford Raffles was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Java. Raffles had the garden in Buitenzorg re-landscaped. His wife, Olivia Raffles, died in Bogor in 1814. A memorial her now stands in the grounds of the Bogor Botanical Gardens.
In 1817, the status of the gardens in Bogor was formally lifted to the rank of Botanical Gardens. The gardens officially opened in 1817 as 's Lands Plantentuin ('National Botanical Garden'), the idea of which was introduced by German-born Dutch biologist and botanist Professor Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt. They were used to research and develop plants and seeds from other parts of Indonesia for cultivation during the 19th century. This is a tradition that continues today and contributes to the garden's reputation as a center of botanical research.
In 1848, the West African oil palm, was introduced into the gardens. This is believed to be the mother tree in Southeast Asia from which numerous descendants were produced to support the growth of the palm oil industry in the region.
In 1862, The Cibodas Botanical Gardens were established as an extension of the Bogor gardens.
In 1889, The Teysmann Garden, a formal garden in the symmetrical European styles, was established in honor of Johannes Elias Teijsmann, curator of the Bogor Botanical Gardens from 1830 to 1869.
In 1928, the Astrid Avenue, which contains spectacular display of canna lilies of various colors, was established on the eastern side of the gardens in memory of a visit by Princess Astrid of Belgium.
In 1994, The APEC Heads of Government meeting was held in the Bogor Palace next to the gardens.
In 2009, a new Orchard Garden was opened on the eastern side of the gardens to celebrate the 192nd anniversary of the gardens
The gardens were used during the APEC summit meeting in Indonesia attended by sixty world leaders which formalised the Bogor Declaration.
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