I’ve discovered so much as we’ve walked in local neighbourhood - really just being tourists in our own town I guess. I read all the signs, take a shot then trawl through the internet winkle picking for more information.
Looking across to Birrarung Marr to the cityscape.
Heading upstream from Princes Bridge the paths are leafy and cool some of the way.
Most of the year the river is busy with craft of some description - leisure and sport. And so it has been for well over a century. In 1904 the Alexandra Gardens, over to the right, was opened and ever since this precinct has been a place for entertainment and leisure. The annual Henley-on-Yarra rowing competition which started in the early 1900s was a nation-wide affair and drew huge crowds; in 1925, over 300,000 attended the regatta. It was a highlight of Melbourne’s Spring social calendar; the same regatta is still held annually over a century later. In its heyday, the river’s edge would be crowded with decorated vessels - double-decker, ferries, canoes etc.
At Kings Domain Landing, a coffee-vessel is moored drawing in passers-by with its rich aromas.
The Morell Bridge, a favourite, was built in 1890s and was open to vehicle traffic until 1998. Around that time major restoration works were done as serious cracks had appeared. Decades ago when we lived on Punt Road, we regularly walked through Gosch’s Paddock and across this bridge to walk along the river in the evening.
We’ll talk about punts later!
Jelly-bean picnickers scattered across the lawns - so colourful.
Stark contrasts - the newest tower in Southbank yet to be finished and dear old government house 1880s.
Sweeping lawns linking hands across the Gardens are a total delight. For 9 years we held our annual BYO everything including friends picnic on the Tennyson Lawn under a huge old spreading oak tree which we called the Dweag Tree. Sadly it is no longer standing.
We ended that walk wandering through the Botanical Gardens and along Melbourne’s iconic Tan Track. The Tan was built originally to exercise horses. Now it’s the place to be seen ‘exercising’!
The Observatory built in the mid 1800s, was once home to weather forecasting, time setting, setting weights and measures standards plus a number of other essential functions.
What an amazing precinct!
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