Edinburgh Gardens, landscape & structures

Landscape Citation, 1998

The Edinburgh Gardens is a large park surrounded by residential development. The park contains a wide variety of active recreational facilities, as well as extensive passive recreation areas.

The site was temporarily reserved for public use in 1862, and was initially used for cricket. In 1877 a bowling club was established on the site. The site was permanently reserved as a park in two sections in 1881 and 1883. Following this, development started in earnest. Low areas were filled with garbage and manure, as well as for the disposal of night soil. A number of horses were also buried on the site. Avenues within the park were apparently developed along pedestrian wear lines through the site. A creek that ran through the park was eventually converted into an underground drain. Early features of the park included a fountain and a pond, both of which have been removed. A significant development in the history of the park was the construction of the North Fitzroy rail line in 1888, that effectively cut the park into two distinct sections. The rail line was removed in 1981.

The site contains many built structures; most are associated with active recreation, and are of recent origin and low conservation significance. Of note is the prominent Peace Memorial located on the Brunswick Street frontage, erected in 1925. This Classical Revival rotunda appears to be of brick or concrete construction, finished with a cream render, and the bronze domed roof is supported by eight Doric columns. Asphalt paths throughout the park are edged in basalt. A garden bed located centrally within the park features a large pedestal that was mounted by a wooden statue of Queen Victoria. The statue is no longer in place. A path bisecting the park in a rough north south alignment follows the alignment of the now defunct railway, with a short section of rails extant near the junction of Fergie Street and Alfred Crescent.

The site is dominated by mature trees, most notably Elms (Ulmus procera and U. x hollandica) and Common Oak (Quercus robur), both of which are used extensively as avenue plantings. A notable row of Kurrajong (Br achy chiton populneus) is located along the park street frontage. Other notable specimens include Fastigiate Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa 'Fastigiata'), Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) and Bay Tree (Laurus nobilis). A mature Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) near the Peace Memorial has been recorded on the National Trust of Australia's (Victoria) Significant Tree Register. A Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) hedge in the southern section of the park relates to the defunct railway line.

Statement of Significance

Edinburgh Gardens are locally significant as a major and early recreational facility within the Fitzroy area. The site is intrinsically linked to a number of local sporting groups and the Fitzroy community generally. It contains elements that illustrate the early use of the site, particularly the railway, and contributes significantly to the heritage character and general amenity of the local neighbourhood, particularly as a setting for adjacent significant housing which culminates in a landscape of notable grandeur within the City of Yarra. The site is also significant for the notable numbers of mature trees, one of which is recorded by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Group

Parks, Gardens and Trees

Category

Urban Park