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.
Designed by Max Parker Smith, this stunning small show garden, sponsored by Journey Beyond, the South Australian Tourism Commission and Tourism Western Australia, celebrates the nature cities of Adelaide and Perth, which book-end the epic Indian Pacific train route which is a key inspiration for the design. It is a garden rich in storytelling which blends travel, horticulture, innovation and sustainability.
The garden cleverly conveys the diversity of Australian landscapes within South Australia, Western Australia and the Nullarbor Plain, which connects the two states and 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.*
Garden designer Max Parker-Smith says:
“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.
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 Journey Beyond, the South Australian Tourism Commission, 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 reflects Adelaide’s identity as a National Park City, showcasing its green urban vision with trees, natural water corridors, and layered vegetation.
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.
Chris Tallent, Journey Beyond CEO says:
“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. We are delighted with the Silver-Gilt medal for our garden which brings the Indian Pacific train journey to life, celebrating this epic rail route and the nature cities of Adelaide and Perth. We look forward to welcoming those inspired by our RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden onto the Indian Pacific in the future.”
South Australia Tourism Minister, the Hon. Emily Bourke MLC says: “South Australia’s involvement in this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and the exciting Silver-Gilt medal win, 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 and unique tourism offerings.
I have no doubt the thousands of visitors seeing the award-winning display will be inspired to add the two states to their holiday itineraries and we want to commend Max Parker-Smith and his team for bringing this adventure to life so beautifully.”
Western Australia Tourism Minister, the Hon. Reece Whitby MLA, says: “This recognition at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a fantastic result and a proud moment for Western Australia on the global stage, reinforcing the WA Government’s commitment to economic diversification by growing the tourism sector and supporting local jobs and businesses.
The ‘Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth’ garden captures the spirit of the Indian Pacific, bringing to life the scale, colour and uniqueness of our landscapes – from the vastness of the Nullarbor to the rich biodiversity contained within Western Australia.
It’s a creative and compelling showcase of our State’s extraordinary natural assets, and an inspiring invitation for international visitors to experience Western Australia for themselves – encouraging them to explore our national parks, discover WA’s distinctive native flora, or embark on one of the world’s great rail journeys.”
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 22 million. 88% 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.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 19-23 May 2026.
For more information visit RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 – Journey Beyond Rail
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IMAGES:
Garden designer Max Parker-Smith with the Silver-Gilt medal
Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth Award Winning Garden Images
Notes to Editors:
* For the stand-alone press release about the rehoming of the Australian garden visit https://media.journeybeyond.com.au/press-rooms/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-2026/#news
For more information about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show click here and on the award winners click here https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/awards-2026
For images and video content: https://media.journeybeyond.com.au/press-rooms/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-2026/
For more information about Max Parker-Smith visit Bio — Maximillian design
For more information about Journey Beyond and the Indian Pacific: Journey Beyond, Indian Pacific
For more information about Adelaide and South Australia: South Australia | Things to do, Events, Accommodation & More | So…
For more information about Perth and Western Australia: Welcome to Western Australia – Tourism Western Australia
For more information on London’s Royal Parks visit The Royal Parks | London’s Royal Parks
For more information on Longleat in Wiltshire visit https://www.longleat.co.uk/
Emma Humphreys, UK PR for the South Australian Tourism Commission – [email protected] / 07912020853
Julia Newbound, UK PR for Tourism Western Australia – [email protected]
Kylie Bawden, UK PR for Journey Beyond – [email protected]
Cheree McEwin, Group Manager, PR & Communications Journey Beyond – [email protected]
