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
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.
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.