Koalas generally live in open dry forest country - not wet rainforest. Cycads,Bowenia,Macrozamia,Lepidozamia,Codiaeum and all Aroids are toxic, very toxic and while the K's may not eat them just chewing on them could be fatal. I am not a Koala expert but know that what is poisonous to one type of animal may not be poisonous to another, ie seeds which a bird can eat may kill a human. K's have a specially adapted digestive system to process the eucalypt leaves. I would SUGGEST YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH AN AUSTRALIAN ZOO SUCH AS AUSTRALIA ZOO IN QUEENSLAND OR LONE PINE KOALA SANCTUARY IN BRISBANE BEFORE PLANTING ANYTHING IN THE ENCLOSURE. I presume the wellbeing of the Koalas is more important than the wellbeing of the plants. Many of the plants listed so far in this post will not grow in a shady area so do your homework thoroughly before you spend any of your $800 budget. It would be a pity to waste it on plants that will never prosper. Callistemon and Lily pilly (Syzigium) are easy to grow from seed but are unlikely to grow in such small planters for very long. Birs nest fern should do well in planters. Koalas are more endangered than any of the plants listed so please be careful.

Experimentation is fine if it is based on understanding the peculiar aspects of what ever plant we are dealing with. When it comes to Australian native Proteaceae plants there are unique considerations that need to be taken into account. Once we have an understanding of these characteristics then by all means we can take advantage of them. Experimenting blindly is not nearly as constructive. Australian Proteaceae plants are sensitive to Phosphorous to varying degrees. BUT it all makes sense if we are aware of what their original environment was. Proteaceae from the skeletal sandstone soils that have always been very low in nutrients, especially phosphorous, have over thousands of years, developed special adaptions known as proteiod roots. They are noticeably different. (I shall spare you further details about Proteiod roots, but a Google might give you more.) Plants developed these in order to maximise the surface root area so they can absorb the scarce nutrients that may be present in these sandstone derived soils. However in the more nutrient rich rainforest zones it is quite possible that Proteaceae are more tolerant of nutrients and maybe even Phosphorous. I always err on the side of avoiding common fertilisers with high rates of phosphorous. Even chook poo can cause problems, although I do give my rainforest plants a dose of Dynamic Lifter once a year. For example, I find Banksia ericifolia to be very sensitive while some Grevilleas are a bit more tolerant. As for your last remark Nathan I assume it is a joke. Anyone being wrong, should not inferr anyone is not wanted.

I had this recipe in my last school garden club newsletter. I found it on Jackie French's site. She also has a lot of good recipes and advice. Hope it helps. LILLY-PILLY JELLY - A Jackie French recipe I prefer to make this recipe from the small leafed lillypilly (Syzygium leuhmannii) which produces large quantities of fruit around Christmas time but you can use a mixture of lillypillies when quantities are limited. Collect fresh, firm, ripe fruit from trees and wash well. If you do not intend to make the jelly immediately, you can freeze the berries for later use. Wash and chop (no need to core or peel) a small quantity of granny smith apples. I use six large apples for a whole bucket of berries. Adjust quantities according to your supply of berries. Add berries and apples to a saucepan with enough water to cover the bottom half of the fruit. Boil uncovered for around 30 minutes, stirring regularly until the water shows good colour and the berries and apples are soft. Strain the mixture through a sieve for a cloudy jam or through muslin cloth for a clear jelly. Add 1 cup of sugar for each cup of strained liquid, re-boil. Bottle while hot into warm, clean jars and seal well. This recipe makes a clear, soft jelly. For a firmer consistency add a jam setting agent according to directions. *If you add extra water during the fruit boiling process, you will make lillypilly cordial. Add a little of the pink lillypilly cordial concentrate to water, mineral water, soda water or champagne!

This site says that 'Cascade' can survive light frosts: http://www.alpinenurseries.com.au/plant-library/syzygium-cascade/ Cascade is a hybrid between Syzygium wilsonii and S. luehmannii , and has distinctive pink flowers, resulting from the red and white flowers of its respective parents. "They’ve been around forever, but during the late 1970s, the era of the Australian plant bonanza, native plant enthusiasts and nurserymen rediscovered lillypillies. So much so that a decade later, three or four new varieties were arriving in nurseries every year. " https://www.gardenclinic.com.au/how-to-grow-article/lilly-pilly-lowdown That would explain why my house originally came with Hibbertia scandens. Apparently exotic Australian plants were the fad back then. Come to think of it, a lot of eucalyptus trees were planted around this time too. Interesting how fads come and go in the world of garden plants. "Syzygium wilsonii, also known as the Powderpuff Lillypilly, is perhaps one of the most attractive and versatile of the "Lillypillies", though still somewhat unknown and under-used in horticulture." https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2004/syzygium-wilsonii.html