Parks and gardens of Melbourne

• The Flagstaff Gardens (7.2 ha) is one of Melbourne's oldest parks, located just north of the Hoddle Grid, bounded by La Trobe Street (where the namesaked subway station is), Dudley Street, King Street and William Street. Used by office workers at lunchtime, the park contains a memorial to the first Europeans who died in the colony and were buried on the site between 1835 and 1840 when it was the original site of Melbourne Cemetery (later moved).
• The
  Melbourne CBD. These gardens, originally a swamp, now house a fine collection of botanical species. The Botanic Gardens were established by Superintendent La Trobe in 1846. Its first Curator was John Arthur, a gardener from Heidelberg, who died shortly after. He was succeeded by John Dallachy, who was succeeded by Ferdinand von Mueller. Baron von Mueller was relieved of duties in 1873, and was succeeded by William Guilfoyle, who re-landscaped the gardens extensively and gave them their current form. They are highly prized for their landscaping, with parkland containing lakes, monuments and statues. Queen Elizabeth II granted the title 'Royal' to the Gardens after visiting early in her reign. Walking around the Botanic Gardens there are views of Government House. Kings Domain contains open lawns and stands of both native and exotic trees, which surround Government House, the Shrine of Remembrance and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Queen Victoria Gardens (4.8 ha) and Alexandra Gardens (5.2 ha) continue the parkland along St Kilda Road to the banks of the Yarra River. The Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden
  is also located within Kings Domain.
• The
  Imax
  theatre are located to the north of the Exhibition Building. A children's playground can be found in the northern gardens.
• The
  University High School. These sites separate it from neighbouring Princes Park
  (38.6 ha).
• The Treasury Gardens (5.8 ha) and Fitzroy Gardens (26 ha) are located to the east of Spring Street and the CBD. The Treasury Gardens are a short walk from Victoria's Parliament House and are overlooked by the old Treasury buildings, and State Offices. Due to their central location close to the city, they are a popular spot as the starting or ending point for political rallies, demonstrations and festivals, including the annual May Day march, which has been held there since 1999.
• The
  Cook's Cottage, an ornamental lake, kiosk and café, Model Tudor village, the fairy tree, and a tree scarred by the original Wurundjeri
  inhabitants.
• The
  Batman Avenue
  .
• The
  Victorian Arts Centre and the towers of St Paul's Cathedral
  . The park incorporates in the south-eastern corner the original speakers mounds of Speakers Corner, the location for Sunday soapbox oratory and public protests and demonstrations up to 1998, when the site was closed for redevelopment.
• The
  motor race is held on the Albert Park Circuit
  around the lake since 1996, and the decision to hold the race there was controversial, with a series of protests organised in 1995 and 1996 by the "Save Albert Park" group, who claimed that the race turned a public park into a private playground for much of the year.
• The St Vincent Gardens, also in the Albert Park suburb, is another park of national significance which provides an example of nineteenth century residential development around a large landscaped square. It was influenced by similar urban design in London, but on such a scale unparalleled in Australia.

Other parks of note in the inner suburbs include

Outer suburbs

While most attention is paid to parks and gardens in the inner urban area around the CBD, extensive and significant parks and rivers can also be found around the outer suburbs of Melbourne. These include:

• Berwick Springs Park, in
  Narre Warren South
• Blackburn Lake Sanctuary – one of the few remaining areas of natural bushland in suburban Melbourne, located in the eastern suburbs at Blackburn
• Braeside Park in Braeside.
• Brimbank Park on the Maribyrnong River in the northwest
• artificial lake along the Corhanwarrabul Creek in Scoresby
  .
• Chelsea Bicentennial Park, along the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands in Chelsea
• Cherry Lake, Truganina Coastal Parklands and Altona Coastal Park in the bayside western suburb of Altona.
• Warrandyte
  , important remnant native riparian bushland and archaeological site.
• Dandenong Park, in
  Dandenong
  .
• Dandenong Valley Parklands, a series of large and small wetland parks along the Dandenong Creek in the eastern/southeastern suburbs.
  • Vermont South
    .
  • Glen Waverley
  • Napier Park, in Glen Waverley.
  • Nortons Park, in
    Wantirna South
  • Wheelers Hill
    .
  • Tirhatuan Park, in
    Dandenong North
    .
• Dandenong Wetlands (Melbourne Water Recreation Area), in Dandenong North and
  Endeavour Hills, with the Dandenong Stadium
  located on its northwestern corner.
• Footscray Park in the western suburb of Maribyrnong opposite the Flemington Racecourse on the Maribyrnong River.
• Heatherton Park, in
  Clayton South
  .
• sand mine
  .
• Pipemakers Park, a park in Maribyrnong recycled from a historic pipemaking industrial site and includes a museum, wharf, garden, wetlands, BBQ areas and the Maribyrnong River trail.
• Marie Wallace Bayswater Park, in Bayswater
• Newport Lakes Park, a 33-hectare bushland oasis created from a former bluestone quarry and rubbish tip site in the middle of Newport.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, in Cranbourne, emphasising Australian plants.
• Organ Pipes National Park, a 121 hectares protected area located in Keilor North off the Calder Highway, 20 km to the northwest of Melbourne city.
• Point Cook Coastal Park, Point Cook Homestead, Cheetham Wetlands and RAAF Aircraft Museum in Point Cook.
• Spring Valley Park, in
  Springvale South
  .
• Tatterson Park, in Keysborough
• Wattle Park in the eastern suburb of Surrey Hills with its historical connection to Melbourne's tram network.
• Werribee, which includes the Werribee Park Mansion, the Victoria State Rose Garden, the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, the Werribee Open Range Zoo
  , a contemporary sculpture walk and a Heritage Orchard.
• Westerfolds Park and Yarra Bend Park on the Yarra River.
• Willamstown Botanic Gardens at the bayside western suburb of Williamstown.

Other suburban rivers/creeks with fantastic trails and reserves and within 20 km of the CBD include

The Dandenong Ranges to the east of Melbourne are famous for their gardens, which are established on rich volcanic soil in a high rainfall area. A popular pastime during autumn is to drive through the hills viewing the vibrant foliage of deciduous trees. Some public gardens in the Ranges include:

• Mount Dandenong
• Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden at Olinda
• Alfred Nicholas Gardens
• George Tindale Garden
• Mount Dandenong Arboretum
• Pirianda Garden, Olinda
• Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden (rear of Kalorama Memorial Reserve) Kalorama

Private gardens

• Park
• Garden
• Melbourne
• Parklands adjoining the Yarra River
• People:
• Charles La Trobe
• Clement Hodgkinson
• William Guilfoyle

References

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