Domain Parklands

The Domain Parklands is a patchwork of beautiful parks and gardens, made up of nearly 123 hectares. It includes some of the city's favourite destinations, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Shrine of Remembrance, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Government House, La Trobe's Cottage, Alexandra Park, Alexandra Gardens, Queen Victoria Gardens and the Kings Domain. The Domain was originally reserved from sale by the Superintendent of the Port Phillip District, Charles La Trobe, as a site for a future Government House. Today the Domain parklands is a patchwork of different park areas and reserves totalling approximately 67 Hectares, comprising of the Kings Domain, the Shrine Reserve, Alexandra Park, Queen Victoria Gardens and Alexandra Gardens. The Domain is adjacent to the Government House Reserve, the Royal Botanic Gardens (35.4 Hectares) and the Yarra River. The area caters for the leisure and recreational activities of residents and city workers as part of a ring of major parks, (along with Fitzroy & Treasury Gardens, and Yarra Park) on the City's southern and eastern borders. The strong visual relationship with the surrounding City has been instrumental in the Domain's development as the setting for Government House and the Shrine of Remembrance. These major symbolic landscape features have in turn influenced the Domain's use as a setting for many other civic monuments, memorial and sculptures. Kings Domain and Alexandra Park Features mature trees set in extensive lawns, a fern gully, and flower borders along the Government House boundary. Built features include: Sidney Myer Music Bowl; Governor La Trobe's Cottage; Tan Track (jogging circuit); King George V statue; Weary Dunlop memorial; Grotto (fern gully); Stapley Pavilion; Tilly Aston bell; Pioneer Women's garden; Memorials and commemorative statutory and Walker fountain. Shrine of Remembrance Reserve The Shrine crowns an elevated site and is framed by formal tree planting, spacious lawns, and forecourt areas. Mature commemorative trees in extensive lawns feature on the surrounding slopes. Other built features include commemorative sculptures and the McPherson Robertson fountain. Queen Victoria Gardens Features trees and flowerbeds set in manicured lawn, roses and flowering shrubs, ornamental ponds, monuments to Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, the Janet Lady Clarke rotunda, the Floral Clock and various sculptures. Alexandra Gardens Features ornamental gardens with palms and shrub borders, extensive lawns with mature trees lining paths and roadways, Palm Lawn, Star Garden Bed; rowing boathouses; bicycle hire and barbecues. Council approved the Domain Parklands Master Plan in 1997. It guides the long-term development of the parklands. Recommendations of the Master Plan include: the restoration of the historic setting and vista to Government House; the enhancement and landscaping of the rowing club precinct; restoration of the historic role of the Domain as an arboretum including the coordination of plantings with the Royal Botanic Gardens collection policies; and planting additional Australian trees to reinforce the Shrine of Remembrance vistas. Domain Parklands Master Plan As Melbourne grows, with more and more people living and working in our central city, green places - like our beautiful Domain Parklands - will become increasingly busy. That's why City of Melbourne is developing a Master Plan to guide sustainable management of our premier parklands, now and into the future. We want to create a strong, shared vision for the whole parkland while treasuring the important destinations within it. We are working with other Domain Parklands organisations to develop the Domain Parklands Master Plan. While the City of Melbourne does not manage all parts of the Domain Parklands, the Master Plan would be incomplete if we didn't consider the parklands as a whole. However, the primary focus of tasks and recommendations in the Master Plan will be directed at the areas where we have responsibility. The City of Melbourne is asking the community to share their memories of the park, what they most value about it, and their ideas for its future. To find out more please visit Participate. Domain Parklands