Melbourne Parks & Gardens Walk
Victoria has long been heralded as ‘The Garden State’, owing to its lush gardens and parks. If the gardens I visited on a recent walk in Melbourne are anything to go by, the name is well deserved.
This walk takes you to seven of Melbourne’s best known and most loved gardens. It starts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, the largest of them all, and ends in The Treasury Gardens, one of the smallest. The route goes close to many significant Melbourne attractions and landmarks as well as other gardens you might like to explore (suggestions below).
The map above pinpoints the parks and gardens included. The map you’ll find below suggests a route, but it hovers round the edges and doesn’t take into account all the meandering you’ll no doubt want to do in each of the gardens. Keep in mind that some of these gardens are huge and you’ll be hard pressed to explore them all fully in a day let alone a few hours.
1. Royal Botanic Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens is set on 38 hectares in the heart of this busy city and is home to more than 8000 species of plants from around the world. While it might not have the harbour views of its Sydney namesake, this is a very special place. The gardens’ expansive lawns, tranquil lakes and pretty picnic spots attract more than two million visitors a year. Themed gardens include the Rose and Herb Gardens, the Australian Forest Walk and Fern Gully, a cool rainforest-like retreat in the Garden’s centre.
Entrance and pavillion
Here are some other highlights.
Guilfoyle's Volcano, resembles a dormant volcano and serves as both a functional reservoir and a scenic attraction. It was designed in 1873 by William Guilfoyle, the Gardens' most influential director and someone who had a hand in many of the other gardens you’ll see on this walk. Visitors to the volcano can take the short, circular, succulent-lined path to the summit to take in views of the gardens and the Melbourne skyline beyond.
The Melbourne Observatory which dates back to 1863, is located near the Observatory Gate entrance to the Gardens. Although decommissioned from official government work in 1945, the Melbourne Observatory continues to operate as an astronomical observatory and is open to the public for day and ‘Stellar Night’ tours.
The Ornamental Lake provides a scenic centrepiece to the gardens and it’s a nice place to sit in quiet contemplation or with a picnic. It’s also a good place to spot one of the many birds that nest and forage in and around the water. You might spot some colourful fish and the odd turtle here too.
The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden is an interactive space that encourages exploration and discovery among its young visitors. From water play areas to hidden pathways and educational exhibits, children can engage with nature here through hands-on experiences.
There are two cafes within the Gardens. Jardin Tan Cafe and Kiosk is located near the Visitors Centre and Observatory Gate (Opening hours vary) . The Terrace overlooks the ornamental lake and is open seven days. Both offer takeaway and sit-down options.
2. Kings Domain
Adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Kings Domain offers a more expansive parkland setting with sweeping lawns, meandering paths, and significant cultural landmarks. It has some gorgeous mature trees, native and exotic, including a number of deciduous specimens that add a golden glow to the park in autumn.
Among the park’s 35 hectares are a number of sites worth checking out of you have the time:
The Grotto, is a highlight and a world away from the sprawling lawns elsewhere in the Domain. Built on an old quarry, this sunken garden is like a mini-rainforest. Stone paths wind around moss-covered rocks and under cascading ferns to trickling streams and a waterfall.
The Shrine of Remembrance was originally built to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in WW1. It now functions as a memorial to Australians who have served in any war as well as those serving in peacekeeping missions. The Shrine is open daily from 10 am - 5 pm. The surrounding memorials and gardens can be visited at any time.
Elsewhere in the park, near Linlithgow Avenue, is the King’s Domain Resting Place. This modest memorial, marked by a plaque embedded in a large granite boulder, is the resting place for the repatriated and reburied remains of 38 Aboriginal people. As a site of commemoration for Aboriginal Victorians, the Resting Place holds symbolic links to ritual, ceremony, and cultural identity.
The Sidney Myer Music Bowl, has been a cultural institution in Melbourne since it opened in 1959. With a crowd capacity of around 10,000 this outdoor performance venue hosts a variety of concerts, festivals, and cultural events throughout the year, including the annual Carols by Candlelight.
Government House, the official residence of the Governor of Victoria, and La Trobe's Cottage, the home of Victoria's first Superintendent and Lieutenant Governor, are two other notable landmarks located within King's Domain. Both are open to visitors (hours restricted).
3. Queen Victoria Gardens
Accross the road from Kings Domain is the somewhat more formally lanscaped, Queen Victoria Gardens. These gardens boast pretty flowerbeds, ornamental ponds and an array of exotic trees and shrubs. Numerous sculptures are scattered throughout the gardens.
The gardens were created in honour of Queen Victoria and the large Queen Victoria Memorial is a focal point. Crafted from marble and granite it was unveiled here in 1907.
Janet Lady Clarke Rotunda
The Queen Victoria Gardens is perhaps best known for its Floral Clock which has sat on the edge of St Kilda Road for over 50 years. The clock was gifted to the City of Melbourne in 1966 by Swiss watchmakers. The clock’s colourful displays feature over 7,000 flowering plants which are changed twice yearly. Behind the clock stands, a large bronze statue of King Edward VII, Queen Victoria's successor.
The Janet Lady Clarke Rotunda provides a covered seating area and is a popular venue for weddings, sheltering up to 80 guests This classic domed structure was built in 1913 and named for a Victorian philanthropist who promoted the welfare and education of women in Melbourne.
4. Alexandra Gardens
These gardens are situated on the southern bank of the Yarra and were named after Alexandra of Denmark, the wife of King Edward VII. They feature tall palms, ornamental shrubs and rockeries, but the garden’s biggest drawcard is its riverside setting.
A line of rowing boathouses face the Yarra and in the early morning the river is filled with crews from various clubs, schools, and universities.
Grassed areas beside the river overlook the city and are a favoured spot for picnics. The adjacent promenade provides a well worn path for walkers and cyclists. Skateboarders should check out the Riverslide Skate Park, a free public skate facility, open to all ages and abilities.
5. Birrarung Marr
Birrarung Marr sits directly opposite Alexandra Gardens and is best accessed via the Princes Bridge.
While most of the parks on this walk have been long-established, Birrarung Marr is relatviely new. It opened in 2002 as part of the area’s redevelopment which centred around Federation Square, officially opened in the same year. Given its location so close to the city, it is a remarkably peaceful park.
The park’s name roughly translates as ‘river of mists'. In Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung culture, 'Birrarung' is the traditional name of the Yarra River; and 'marr' refers to the mist that sometimes settles over that river.
The park features native plantings in terraced gardens, a large playground and a children’s art centre and gallery called ArtPlay.
The Birrarung Wilam art installation sits at the entrance to the park. The central component of the work is the mound campsite, or puulwuurn, featuring an eel pathway, two message sticks, five shields, a group of ancestor stones, interpretative panels, water vessels and an audio installation. The mound campsite is a contemporary recreation of a ‘sitting place’, an element central to Aboriginal cultural life. Artefacts from Aboriginal groups from around Victoria have been interred within the mound.
Other significant art pieces in the park include the sound sculpture, Federation Bells and the ten metre high Angel. Federation Bells is a collection of 39 inverted bells mounted on steel poles. The bells are controlled by computer, and play various compositions, some commissioned, some submitted by the public, three times a day. Angel, by Deborah Halpern is a colourful three-legged sculpture that sits beside the riverbank.
Birrarung Marr provides walking and cycle access between the city centre and the sporting precinct via the the William Barak pedestrian bridge at the east end of the park. This bridge is also en route to the next park, Fitzroy Gardens.
6. Fitzroy Gardens
Autumn in the gardens
Fitzroy Gardens is another beautiful big garden. It has a rich history and a few quirky features.
First established around 1860, the gardens follow a classic Victorian-era design and feature tree-lined pathways, extensive lawns and elaborate floral displays. There are small ponds and water features and plenty of pretty spots for picnics.
The gardens are listed on the Australian National Heritage List and the Victorian Heritage Register for their ‘historical, aesthetic, architectural, scientific (horticultural) and social significance to the State of Victoria.’
At the Wellington Parade Entrance to the Gardens you’ll find the KereKere Cafe and Visitors Centre. The cafe serves breakfast, lunch, cakes and pastries. You can eat in or take-away to enjoy picnic-style in the garden. The Visitors Centre has guides to the park and handy pocket sized maps featuring other Melbourne landmarks and walking trails. This is also where you go to buy tickets to tour nearby Cook’s Cottage.
Cook’s Cottage is a curious thing. Built by James Cook’s parents in 1755, the house was brought to Melbourne, numbered brick by numbered brick, by Sir Russell Grimwade in 1934. Grimwade was clearly a fan of the man, or perhaps of the house, because Cook himself never actually lived there. He was busy honing his craft elsewhere at the time. Visitors can learn about the house and its history on a tour of the building and grounds.
The gardens contain several other buildings and structures which are of architectural significance in their own right, including the Band Pavilion (1864), Sinclair's Cottage (1866) and the Rotunda (1873).
The Conservatory houses impressive themed floral displays that are changed five times each year. There was a definite tropical vibe to the interior when we visited in late April.
Also in the park is a reminder of those who lived on this land before European settlement, the Wurundjeri people. The Scarred Tree is one of many that can be found all over Australia. These trees, often red gums or box gums had their bark removed to make canoes, containers, shields and temporary shelters. Scarred trees are an important living connection for Aboriginal people to ancestors and cultural practices and heritage.
Two other unique points of interest in the park are The Fairies Tree and the model Tudor village. Both are draw cards for children and families and are not too far from the playground.
The Fairies Tree is actually a stump, the last remains of a centuries-old Red Gum. The stump features a series of carvings made in the 1930s by artist Orla Cohn. Fairies, gnomes and other magical creatures are depicted on the stump’s surface along with a variety of native birds and animals. Cohn said she carved the tree ‘mostly for fairies and for those who believe in them’.
The Model Tudor Village is just that. It represents a typical Kentish village during the Tudor period. The village is one of three built in England in the 1940s by pensioner, Edgar Wilson. Alongside private homes and public buildings are the residences of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. The Tudor village was donated to the City of Melbourne as a gift to its people in appreciation for the generosity they demonstrated in sending food to Britain during World War Two.
7. Treasury Gardens
This sunny corner of the city is overlooked by the Old Treasury Building and is just a short walk from Victoria’s Parliament House. Owing to their central location, the Treasury Gardens are both a retreat for workers in nearby State offices and a commonly used gathering point for political rallies and demonstrations. It’s also another popular spot for weddings.
At just over 5 hectares, these gardens are much smaller than the ones across the road but they’re no less appealing. Like their neighbour, they are heritage listed for their visual, historical, horticultural and social significance.
The ornamental pond forms a focal point in the landscape and many waterfowl can be found here. Spreading out from the pond are lush lawns and avenues of mature trees, Moreton Bay Figs, Elms and Oak trees among them.
There are a number of memorials in the Gardens, mostly centred around the pond. The Victorian Emergency Services Memorial honours fallen members of all of the state’s emergency services organisations. There is a memorial to poet Robert Burns and one to former US President John F Kennedy. Elsewhere in the park is a mounted bust of colonial businessman and philanthropist Sir William Clarke.
The walk - A rough guide to the route
In the area
In case these beautiful parks weren’t enough to occupy a day (or week), here are some other green spaces and popular attractions in the vicinity.
Carlton Gardens is not far from the Treasury Gardens and one you could tag on to the end of this walk. I had planned to visit this UNESCO World Heritage listed site but I ran out of time. Set on 26 hectares these Victorian-style gardens are home to the The Royal Exhibition Building (1880) and Melbourne Museum.
Parliament Gardens Reserve, (between Treasury Gardens and Carlton Gardens), is a small triangular park adjacent to Parliament House. The tubular Coles Fountain is prominent in this park as is a memorial in bronze to Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls and Lady Gladys Nicholls, two of Australia’s most prominent Indigenous leaders.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground or ‘The G’ as it is affectionately known, is en route to Fitzroy Gardens and is Australia's largest and most iconic sports stadium. It seats up to 80,000 and is the main venue for cricket and Australian Rules Football, and for big name concerts. If you’re a sporting fan, you can take a tour of the grounds to learn more about this iconic site.
Still on sport, The Rod Laver Arena, home to The Australian Tennis Open can be accessed from Birrarung Marr. This multi-purpose venue (concerts and other sporting fixtures are held here), was named in recognition of one of Australia's best ever male tennis champions. The Margaret Court Arena, another tennis venue, is nearby.
Federation Square is also close to Birrarung Marr. It is a public square with a focus on arts and culture. The National Gallery of Victoria’s Ian Potter Centre: NGV is housed here. This large gallery is dedicated exclusively to Australian art and is worth a visit. Several restaurants, bars and specialty stores are located in and around Federation Square.
The National Gallery of Victoria’s main building is across from the Queen Victoria Gardens on St Kilda Rd. Recently updated, the gallery has a diverse international collection and there is a charming sculpture garden at the rear.