Melbourne is Australia's second largest city and widely considered to be a garden city, with Victoria being nicknamed "the Garden State". 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 southLate afternoon sunlight on the Fitzroy GardensSpeaker's mound at Speakers' corner, Birrarung MarrCatani 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
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 Royal Botanic Gardens (35.4 ha) and Kings Domain (36 ha are two of the most highly regarded gardens), just across the Yarra River from 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 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 Fitzroy Gardens are one of the major Victorian era landscaped gardens in Australia designed by Clement Hodgkinson, located across Lansdowne Street from Treasury Gardens. Within the gardens are Captain 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 Yarra Park (35.469 ha) is located on the north bank of the Yarra River further east of the CBD, between Richmond and Jolimont railway stations. It makes up part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground located within its boundaries. Initially the area was used as police paddocks for the agistment of police horses, but by the 1860s five recreational ovals were marked out including the MCG oval. The park features several sculptures of Australian sporting heroes and examples of old eucalypt trees which show scars caused by harvesting of bark for canoes by the original inhabitants of the Yarra River Valley. The park stretches to the northern banks of the Yarra River via Gosh's paddock, but is divided by several railway lines linking Richmond station to Flinders Street station, Swan Street and Batman Avenue.
The Olympic Park stadium was once the precinct of the Friendly Society Gardens. The redevelopment of the railway yards and Federation Square allowed for the creation of a new riverside park, Birrarung Marr (8 ha), opened in 2002. Birrarung Marr has been designed to incorporate long lines of sight towards various landmarks, such as the spire at 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 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.
Maribyrnong River at Brimbank ParkAerial 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:
Dandenong Wetlands (Melbourne Water Recreation Area), in Dandenong North and Endeavour Hills, with the Dandenong Stadium located on its northwestern corner.
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.
Werribee Park in 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.
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:
Karwarra Australian Native Botanic Garden (rear of Kalorama Memorial Reserve) Kalorama
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.
