Birrarung Marr, Melbourne

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Coordinates: 37°49′6″S 144°58′21″E / 37.81833°S 144.97250°E / -37.81833; 144.97250
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Birrarung Marr
Drinking Fountains
,

Birrarung Marr is an inner-city park between the

Indigenous inhabitants
at the time of European colonisation of the Melbourne area.

Location

The 8 hectare (20 acre) park lies immediately to the south-east of the central business district, between Flinders Street and the north bank of the Yarra River, east of Flinders Street station, and west of Exhibition Street, Batman Avenue and the Rod Laver Arena.

History

In 1856 the colonial government indicated that the marshy site of Birrarung Marr was intended for park or ornamental purposes. However, several institutions including a morgue had already been established there, more still were developed, and facilities including the old State Swimming Centre remained until the late 20th century. The first rail line crossed the area in 1859 and railways eventually occupied most of the parkland between Melbourne's central business district (CBD) and the Yarra River. At the 19th century's end, these impacts were outstripped by reconstruction of the Yarra River itself, which was straightened, widened and deepened, with tree-lined avenues formed along the built-up banks.

In 1992 the new Victorian Government under Premier Jeff Kennett initiated a development program focused on central Melbourne. For the centrepiece of this program, the State and City of Melbourne jointly sponsored an architectural design competition for Federation Square. The creation of Birrarung Marr resulted from the reorganisation of infrastructure and land uses near Federation Square, including clearance of the Jolimont railyards, and diversion of Batman Avenue away from the river bank to connect to Exhibition Street. These works enabled reclamation of land from the former rail yards and roadway to create Melbourne's first significant new inner city park in one hundred years.

View of Melbourne from Birrarung Marr.

Construction of Birrarung Marr began in 2000. The project was a joint venture by the

Government of Victoria, which funded the railway rationalisation and clearance of the site. The park was formally opened to the public on Australia Day
, 26 January 2002.

The park design

The initial schemes for Birrarung Marr proposed a 'festival park', a largely commercial venue supporting the State's use of sporting and cultural events such as the

Fitzroy Gardens. The intent was to provide a robust setting for events such as Circus Oz and the Moomba Waterfest, changing sculpture exhibitions, and community festivals while providing an attractive setting for passive recreation at other times. The park also provides walking and cycle access between the city centre and the sporting precinct to the south-east, and forms a link in the Capital City Trail
, which provides continuous bike access along the Yarra River.

The shell-grit surface in the south channel, near Speakers Corner

Birrarung Marr was therefore designed as a series of level open

Melbourne Arena
. Basalt boulders from these excavations were also re-used in the park to form retaining walls.

The layout of the park emphasises lines of sight to various Melbourne landmarks such as the spires of the

river red gums evoke the billabongs
once found on the site, and the linear paths and bridge structures also suggest the railways that dominated the site through much of Melbourne's history. The park's open spaces are largely shielded from nearby traffic, and the park is remarkably quiet and peaceful given its proximity to major roads and railways.

Angel by Deborah Halpern.

The concept plan for Birrarung Marr was prepared by the City of Melbourne, with in-house landscape architects Ronald Jones and Helena Piha as principal designers. Consultants engaged to undertake the detailed design and documentation include Taylor Cullity Lethlean (landscape architects), Paul Thompson (planting design) and Swaney Draper (architects for the footbridge within the park and the Federation Bells). The design has received various awards including the

Royal Australian Institute of Architects' Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design in 2004, and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
(Victoria) Awards for Excellence in Planning and Excellence in Design in 2003.

Features and facilities

Speaker's Corner.

A long ramping footbridge within the park, designed by architects Swaney Draper, links the three terrace levels and provides disabled access.

Speaker's Corner, in the south-eastern corner of Birrarung Marr, was a remnant of Yarra Park between the Jolimont Rail Yards and Yarra River that was used as a location for public lectures, protests and demonstrations. For example, in 1916, an estimated 50,000 people came to protest against conscription. These activities had been moved to the north bank of the Yarra River after construction of the Queen Victoria Monument at their earlier venue on the south bank. The site was one of the few public spaces in Melbourne where large public assemblies and speeches were allowed without a prior permit. The mounds that speakers used to stand on to address these crowds can still be seen in this corner of Birrarung Marr.

There are

Yarra River Trail
traverses the park on its south side.

One of the railway buildings remaining from the Jolimont railyards was converted into a children's art centre and cultural centre, called ArtPlay. ArtPlay opened in 2004 and runs a range of workshops where children and families can undertake creative arts workshops alongside artists of all disciplines. ArtPlay is open to the public on weekends and during school holidays and works with schools during weekdays. In 2006 ArtPlay worked with over 20,000 children, offering nearly 300 different workshops, performances and events. A children's playground has been developed next to this building and a series of creative arts workshops often extend into this space from ArtPlay. Following the success of ArtPlay, The City of Melbourne has developed a similar arts program in the heart of the city for teenagers called Signal, located alongside to Flinders St Station.

The 'Federation Bells'

The

sound sculpture plays three times a day. The bells were designed by Neil McLachlan and Anton Hassel. In 2010, Spring Innovations were asked to design a new dynamic playing system that was publicly launched on 1 April 2012. Since then the bells have played over 11 million times annually with near complete reliability. They now monitor themselves and report on their playing status daily. Members of the public can down load a player from www.federationbells.com.au and compose and submit their own works online. Circus Oz
has incorporated a live event with the Bells for their 2013 season.

The ten-metre high, three-legged Angel was installed along the river bank in 2006. The sculpture was commissioned from Melbourne mosaic artist Deborah Halpern for installation in the 'moat' in front of the National Gallery of Victoria in 1985, but off-loaded by the Gallery when major renovations were undertaken in 1999.

Macrozamia communis on the embankment of the middle terrace

The William Barak Bridge was officially opened in December 2005 for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. This provides pedestrian access between the middle terrace of Birrarung Marr over the CityLink toll road and railways to the vicinity of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Horticulture

In addition to the mature

Doryanthes excelsa (gymea lilies) and Lepidozamia peroffskyana
(pineapple zamia, another cycad). Hundreds of smaller Australian native plants are also present although construction of the William Barak Bridge, which was not part of the original design for the park, destroyed one of the major display plantings on the north-facing embankment of the middle terrace.

Doryanthes excelsa
near the middle terrace.

Additional tree planting for shade and shelter was envisaged for the level areas of the upper and middle terraces, but has not yet been implemented.

Name origin

The name comes from the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri, meaning "beside the river".[1][2] The name was applied to the park after the design was adopted.

References

  1. ^ "Melbourne dreamtime a reality". The Age. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. OCLC 1189713426
    .

City of Melbourne, New riverside park design brief, May 1998 (unpublished).

City of Melbourne, Melbourne's new riverside park draft concept plan, August 1998 (unpublished).

Georgina Whitehead, History notes for new riverside park area, prepared for the City of Melbourne, 1998 (unpublished).

Georgina Whitehead, Civilising the City: A History of Melbourne's Public Gardens. State Library of Victoria, 1997.

Gallery

  • River of Mists & River Bank Architecture Design in Birrarung Marr parkland
    River of Mists & River Bank Architecture Design in Birrarung Marr parkland
  • Deborah Halpern Art Sculpture in Birrarung Marr parkland
    Deborah Halpern Art Sculpture in Birrarung Marr parkland
  • Deborah Halpern Art Sculpture & City Skyline seen from Birrarung Marr parkland
    Deborah Halpern Art Sculpture & City Skyline seen from Birrarung Marr parkland
  • Yarra River flows along the northbank and Birrarung Marr parkland
    Yarra River flows along the northbank and Birrarung Marr parkland

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Birrarung Marr.
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