Parks and gardens of Melbourne

The skyline visible from the Royal Botanic Gardens
An avenue of English Elms in Fitzroy Gardens
View of the city centre from the Shrine of Remembrance

Melbourne is Australia's second largest city and widely considered to be a garden city, with Victoria being nicknamed "the Garden State".[1][2] Renowned as one of the most livable cities in the world, there is an abundance of parks, gardens and green belts close to the CBD with a variety of common and rare plant species amid landscaped vistas, pedestrian pathways, and tree-lined avenues, all managed by Parks Victoria.

The first superintendent of the Port Phillip region, Charles La Trobe, set aside large tracts of land around the city for open space, parkland and gardens. Much of this land has since been excised for public infrastructure like sporting complexes, railways, hospitals and other public buildings, and also for residential development, but a substantial amount has remained. This allowed landscape designer Clement Hodgkinson and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, William Guilfoyle, to landscape many of the parks and gardens. Many of these parks and gardens are within easy walking distance of the central business district.

Inner suburbs

Carlton Gardens south
Late afternoon sunlight on the Fitzroy Gardens
Speaker's mound at Speakers' corner, Birrarung Marr
Catani Gardens in St Kilda is typical of the many gardens in the bayside area which are often lined with stands of Canary Island Date Palms.
Aerial panorama of the Victoria State Rose Garden in Werribee

Other parks of note in the inner suburbs include Edinburgh Gardens (c. 24 ha) in Fitzroy North, Fawkner Park (41 ha), Como Park and Victoria Gardens in South Yarra, Alma Park and the St Kilda Botanical Gardens in St Kilda, Hedgeley Dene Gardens and Central Park in Malvern, Princes Park in Caulfield, and Footscray Park in Footscray, and Hays Paddock in Kew East.

Outer suburbs

Maribyrnong River at Brimbank Park
Aerial panorama of Ruffey Lake Park. Sunset 24 September 2023.

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:

Other suburban rivers/creeks with fantastic trails and reserves and within 20 km of the CBD include Merri Creek, Moonee Ponds Creek, Kororoit Creek, Plenty River, Darebin Creek and Eumemmerring Creek.

Dandenong Ranges

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:

Private gardens

Residential gardening is a popular pastime throughout Melbourne, and the city is known for its leafy green suburbs. Many private gardens open for public viewing through Australia's Open Garden Scheme, which started in Melbourne.

See also

Treasury Gardens in Winter

References

  1. ^ "Premier of Victoria, Australia – FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW BLOSSOMS IN 2008". premier.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 10 June 2008.
  2. ^ "Victorian Parliamentary Hansard – Parliament of Victoria". tex2.parliament.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 10 June 2008.

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