The ‘Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth’ garden has been awarded a Silver-Gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.
Journey Beyond brought the slice of Australia’s rugged heart to one of the world’s most prestigious horticultural stages, partnering with the South Australian Tourism Commission and Tourism Western Australia on the landmark showcase garden at the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.
The immersive garden, titled Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth, has been designed by award-winning landscape designer Max Parker-Smith and celebrates the iconic Indian Pacific rail journey connecting Adelaide and Perth across the breadth of the country.
“Designing the ‘Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth’ garden has been such an adventure, and I’m honoured to have been awarded a Silver-Gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea
Flower Show,” Max Parker-Smith said.
The garden cleverly conveys the diversity of Australian landscapes within South Australia, Western Australia and the Nullarbor Desert which connects the two states and which the Indian Pacific train travels through.
Parker-Smith worked with nurseries in Spain and the UK to grow the plants for the garden, following an inspirational research trip to Australia in 2025 where he spent time in Adelaide and regional South Australia before taking the Indian Pacific train to Perth, where he explored the city and some of Western Australia’s national parks.
Parker-Smith was particularly excited to use Jurassic-like grass trees, Xanthorrhea glauca, in his design; along with Boronia Crenulata (Aniseed Boronia), the Banksia robur (swamp banksia), the Eucalyptus gunnii Azura, and the Adenanthos sericeus (woollybush) known for its soft velvety foliage. Anigozanthos, commonly known as Kangaroo Paw, is another striking and vibrant Australian native plant which features in the garden.
The garden speaks to the themes of climate resilient planting and conservation; with the plants being re-homed to Kensington Gardens in London as part of a partnership with The Royal Parks focused on creating climate-resilient parks for future generations, and the hard landscaping being rehomed to Longleat to create an Australian garden space to complement the estate’s existing Koala Creek experience, which is home to the only population of southern koalas in Europe. Koalas which came originally from Cleland in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia.
“Designing the ‘Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth’ garden has been such an adventure, and I’m thrilled and honoured to be part of RHS Chelsea Flower Show,” Parker-Smith said. “I have a strong affinity with Australia, having had my light-bulb career moment on a Working Holiday there a few years ago. It was in Australia that I decided to follow my passion for horticulture and study garden design; so it is wonderfully circuitous to be working with the South Australian Tourism Commission, Journey Beyond and Tourism Western Australia on this Chelsea garden project.
“I was so inspired by my trip on the Indian Pacific last year and by the time I spent in Adelaide and Perth and in the regional areas beyond the cities. That itinerary is an absolute must for garden lovers who want to see stunning native plants in their natural habitats on an epic adventure which combines luxury travel with some of the best bits of Australia.”
Visitors to the ‘Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth’ garden will be struck by the central structure, echoing the form and interior of an Indian Pacific train carriage, which sits in the heart of the design. One side captures the expansive shrub plains of the Western Australian outback, featuring tiered sand beds and resilient native plantings. In contrast, the opposite side
Sustainable materials are used throughout, including reclaimed timber, ochre-toned eco-concrete, natural stone, aggregate, and low-carbon metals grounding the garden in both environmental responsibility and regional character.
A senior executive team, including Journey Beyond CEO Chris Tallent, headed to London straight after ATE26 in Adeliade to attend the show.
“It has been a privilege to work with garden designer, Max Parker-Smith, whose passion for Australia and for garden designs which inspire an emotional response has been evident from the very beginning of our partnership,” Tallent said. “We are delighted with our garden which brings the Indian Pacific train journey to life, celebrating this epic rail route and the nature cities of Adelaide and Perth which bookend it. We look forward to welcoming those inspired by our RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden on to the Indian Pacific in the future.”
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show attracts over 140,000 visitors over five days and the BBC coverage of the show reaches an average audience of over 22million. Around 88 per cent of the visitors to the show earn above the national average household income in the UK and the number one interest by market segment for RHS members is Travel, providing RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden sponsors in the tourism sector a unique opportunity. Latest tourism data for the year-ending December 2025, shows visitors from the UK contribute $154 million to South Australia’s visitor economy and $414 million to Western Australia’s visitor economy.
South Australia Tourism Minister, the Hon. Emily Bourke MLC added : “South Australia’s involvement in this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, has provided a unique platform to share our stories; encouraging potential visitors to find out more about the National Park City of Adelaide, our world-class wineries, our national parks teeming with native wildlife, and our welcoming locals who are passionate about protecting our pristine natural landscapes for future generations.
