Reserve - Shelter, Eastern Park

Statement of Cultural Significance

The shelter (rotunda) in Eastern Park, Geelong, has significance as a moderately intact example of an early 20th century garden structure within a well-treed landscape and with views to Corio Bay. Built before 1916, the shelter appears to be in fair condition.

The shelter (rotunda) in Eastern Park is architecturally and historically significant at a

LOCAL level. It is associated with the development of Eastern Park and associated

garden structures in the early 20th century, and it demonstrates some original design

qualities. These qualities include the octagonal plan with fixed timber seating on all sides except for two doorways, unusual ogee form roof clad in galvanised corrugated iron, heavy stop chamfered timber columns, steel framed roof structure, and the steel tie rodsattached to the top of the columns to support the centre of the roof.

Overall, the shelter (rotunda) in Eastern Park is of LOCAL significance.

References

R. Aitken, 'Leisure and Pleasure Buildings of Geelong', B. Arch Thesis, Deakin University, 1980, p.124.

The Geelong Advertiser, 19 November 1895, 12 September 1896, 8 October 1896, 29 January 1997, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Aerial photograph of the Botanic Gardens, c.1925, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

C. Dance, Geelong Botanic Gardens and Easter Park, Geelong Historical Records Centre.

Group

Parks, Gardens and Trees

Category

Other - Parks, Gardens & Trees