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YARRA PARK

Location

WELLINGTON PDE AND PUNT RD AND VALE STREET AND JOLIMONT TERRACE AND BRUNTON AVE AND JOLIMONT STREET EAST MELBOURNE, MELBOURNE CITY

File Number

Level

Registered

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Yarra Park view towards Punt
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Yarra Park avenue of elms
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Yarra Park scarred tree 1.
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Yarra Park scarred tree 2.
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Yarra Park Cabman's shelter.
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Yarra Park commemorative
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Yarra Park drinking fountain
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Yarra Park electrical
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Yarra Park view towards MCG.
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Yarra Park view from north
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plan of Yarra Park 1867 from
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yarra park plan.jpg

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Yarra Park, East Melbourne is bordered by the southern boundary of the railway reserve adjacent to Wellington Parade, Vale Street, Punt Road, Brunton Avenue, Jolimont Street and Jolimont Terrace. This site is part of the traditional land of the Wurundjeri people.

Yarra Park was part of a proposal to surround the city of Melbourne with a ring of parks and gardens. This is largely credited to Charles La Trobe, who was appointed to govern the Port Phillip District in 1839, and responded to instructions to make sufficient land available for public purposes. The result was an inner ring of gardens, including the Fitzroy, Treasury, Parliament, Alexandra and Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain, and an outer ring including Yarra, Albert, Fawkner, Princes and Royal Parks. The former were generally designed spaces, intended for passive recreation, while the latter were developed in a less sophisticated manner for both active and passive recreation.

Yarra Park developed on the Government Paddock which was east of the adjacent Police Magistrate's Paddock. This land, of some 157 acres, was recommended for reservation in 1862. It became known as Richmond Park before being temporarily reserved and renamed Yarra Park in 1867. It was not permanently reserved until 1873.

A network of paths developed through Yarra Park, along desire lines. The first of these, from Punt Road to Wellington Street, were established as early as 1852. These grew in complexity as north-south pathways were developed, as the sporting venues grew in popularity and the railway stations were established at the park's boundaries. These pathways generally continue to be used. Yarra Park has been used for the provision of parking for sporting events since the 1920s and continues to be used in this manner.

The place has associations with a number of people and groups of importance in Victoria's cultural history such as the mounted police force, Police Magistrate William Lonsdale, Governor Charles La Trobe, surveyor Robert Hoddle, and Clement Hodgkinson, who designed the park's plantings and pathways in 1873.

Yarra Park contains a mixture of open space with turf and trees. Avenues of trees, probably from the late nineteenth century, line many of the paths. Significant plantings include Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) and remnant indigenous trees, in particular two scarred River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis).

Structures on the site include an electrical substation (1938), two drinking fountains at either end of Brunton Avenue (1938) and a commemorative Olympic plaque in Brunton Avenue (1959).

How is it significant?

Yarra Park is of historical significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

Yarra Park is historically significant as part of the system of parks that Governor Charles La Trobe envisaged surrounding Melbourne. His vision was to establish a city set within public open space, reflecting nineteenth century planning mores. The park has further significance as it is the result of the first application in Victoria of the reservation of a large open area for public/government use. It was set aside as a reserve within Robert Hoddle's first Town Reserve Plan for Melbourne in 1837 noted as 'Government Reserve' and then shown in more detail in Hoddle's 1843 Plan of North and South Melbourne as 'Government Paddock'.

Yarra Park is historically significant as the 'village green' for Melbourne and for its role in the development of Australian Rules Football, being the place where the earliest games were played in 1858.

The park is an important Aboriginal ceremonial, camping and contact site that retains evidence of Aboriginal use, such as the scarred river red gums.

Yarra Park has significant historical associations not only with Governor La Trobe but also with early Police Magistrate William Lonsdale, the mounted police force and Clement Hodgkinson, whose design allowed for active and passive recreation.

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