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Footscray Park

Location

Ballarat Road, FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011 - Property No G13093

File Number

G13093

Level

State

Statement of Significance

Footscray Park, permanently reserved in 1911 as a site for Public Park and Recreation Purposes, developed in 1912-13 and continuously maintained as a public garden, is of State significance as:

- an Edwardian public garden, one of the largest and most intact of Melbourne's parks dating from this period; characteristic features include rustic stonework (both for structures and hard landscape elements), ornamental ponds, extensive use of palms, contrasting open lawns with specialised flower beds (notably a large bed of cannas) bordered by dense shrubberies;

- for its unusual linear plan and terraced layout, a response to the constrained site and relatively steep topography;

- for its incorporation of axial pathways, which skilfully exploit the sloping site and give formality to a garden which is otherwise organic in design;

- for its role in providing recreation to citizens of Footscray and neighbouring Flemington, both suburbs with a large working class population, and areas poorly endowed with public open space; and

- for its part in the history of Flemington Racecourse and the Victorian Racing Club.

Group