Four years in the making, the Dhurawarri Dangharn Nuguru garden contains food, medicinal and textile plants traditionally used by local Aboriginal people for over 40,000 years.

Karabar High principal Paul Kells said the garden was a long standing project between the school and the local Aboriginal community.

``We've had a lot of support from our Aboriginal community and our Aboriginal students in design of the garden, putting in the plants and making sure that everything was finished,'' he said.

``Our hope for the garden is that it will become a teaching tool in school for a number of subjects, but also as part of the ongoing process of reconciliation.''

Agriculture science teacher David Henry was involved in the project from its inception.

He said the garden was developed thanks to volunteers from the local community and a lot of hard work by the students.

``The students started to get ideas and they came up with a lot of information, they designed the whole thing,'' Mr Henry said.

``It took two years to research and it took a year to get the basic design and layout, then it took a full year of planting and preparation.

``The boys in particular have really been thirsting for knowledge about their own plants and how to use them. It will be a cultural area where they will learn from their elders, and the elders in the aboriginal community will share that knowledge with the school students and the community of Queanbeyan.''

Aboriginal elder Louise Brown was instrumental in establishing the garden, and declared it officially open on Monday.

``Through this garden I hope the students will take pride and learn about how our ancestors lived and survived,'' she said.

``Our culture and heritage is the oldest in the world and you all should be proud of it.''

The students were excited about the new garden, especially considering they had been so involved in its creation.

Year 9 student Dylan Anderson said the students would use the garden to come to as a place to reflect.

``Two years ago when I was in Year 7 I remember doing the plant sheets in the computer lab and then we got the students together to get the research done and it basically grew from that,'' he said.

``This shouldn't just be left just to sit it needs to be embraced by the entire community.''