East Melbourne Attractions – Melbourne Gardens & Parks

Melbourne Parks and Gardens

Fitzroy Garden, Cook's Cottage, Cottage Garden, Studley Park

Attraction URL: www.visitmelbourne.com

Attraction URL:
Fitzroy Gardens – www.fitzroygardens.com
Studley Park Boathouse – www.studleyparkboathouse.com.au
Studley Park – www.parkweb.vic.gov.au, www.emelbourne.net.au

Useful Melbourne Gardens & Parks Information
For Guests at City East Motel

East Melbourne Accommodation in Abbotsford near Melbourne Parks & Gardens

Have a stroll in the beautiful Fitzroy Gardens with a history over 150 years. Visit Cook's Cottage in the Gardens – one of Melbourne's historical landmarks. Just a few minutes walk from the City East Motel (Formerly City Edge Motel) is Studley Park – ideal spot for a picnic, romantic outing, BBQ or social gathering, and the focal areas are the two boatsheds.

Fitzroy Gardens
Fitzroy Gardens have a long history of over 150 years, few other capital cities can boast such a significant garden so close to the Melbourne City's centre. As crown land the City of Melbourne are the custodians to preserve and oversee this magnificent garden, visited by over 2 million local, interstate and international visitors each year, it is one of the major attractions in Melbourne.

Cook's Cottage – Fitzroy Gardens
The Cook's Cottage originally stood on an extremity of the village of Great Ayton, Yorkshire. The original thatched cottage in which Cook was born at Marton-in-Cleveland was demolished in 1786 and so the Great Ayton family cottage is the only concrete historical link we have with Captain Cook's origins. The cottage was purchased by Russell Grimwade in 1933, dismantled, and shipped to Melbourne in 253 packing cases, arriving April, 1934. A site in the Fitzroy Gardens was selected to complement the cottage with its large shady European trees and the construction work was completed in six months.

Cottage Garden – Fitzroy Gardens
To complement the cottage, an authentic mid 18th century Yorkshire cottage garden has been recreated, resulting largely from the research work done by Carrick Chambers, Professor of Botany of Melbourne University, while working at the British Museum during 1977. The garden is comprised mostly of plants native to Great Britain and Northern Europe as exotic varieties were rarely found in country villages.

Some of the roses are of very ancient pedigree, the White Rose of York having been planted in Greek and Roman times. The vegetable garden was an essential asset to such a cottage and the gooseberries included here were very popular for both eating and for display in local competitions. The "chamomile lawn" is composed of one of the oldest herbal plants of English and European gardens. "Chamomile teas" were taken medicinally for a great range of ailments. In Captain Cook's time a millrace formed the boundary of the garden, and this feature has been faithfully recreated.

Studley Park – Things To Do
Part of Yarra Bend Park, Studley Park is Melbourne's first and most important indigenous parkland area. The whole area is exceptional for its diversity of flora, all the more surprising given the industrial history of the inner north-east. However, it is no pristine natural environment, with many species, particularly low-growing grasses and flowers, having been lost because of pollution, grazing and trampling. Studley Park has been popular for picnicking and walking since the 1830s. In the 1860s boating and swimming became popular, reaching their peak in the interwar years. The Studley Park Boathouse, established as the Burn's Boathouse, has been in continuous use since 1863. The park's popularity waned mid-century as motor cars expanded leisure choices. Since the early 1980s revegetation and the construction of the Main Yarra Trail have led to a resurgence of popularity.

– Studley Park Boathouse, built in 1863 and recently restored, offers cafe, bistro and restaurant dining and canoe and rowboat hire.
– Picnic areas
– Kanes Bridge leads across the river to picnic areas, sports grounds and the 18 hole Yarra Bend Golf Course.
– The nine hole Studley Park Par 3 Golf Course is situated on Walmer Street, Kew.
– Studley Park Picnic Area (close by Studley Park Boathouse) offers picnic shelters, electric barbecues and toilet facilities.
– Bellbird Picnic Area (off Yarra Boulevard) offers a peaceful alternative to busy Studley Park. This setting provides a shelter, electric barbecue, toilet facilities and canoe-launching ramp.

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