Queen Victoria Gardens

Urban park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Queen Victoria Gardens

The view from the Queen Victoria statue towards the Victorian Arts Centre

Type| Public Park
Location| Melbourne, Australia
Coordinates| 37°49′18″S 144°58′18″E﻿ / ﻿37.8218°S 144.9716°E﻿ / -37.8218; 144.9716
Opened| 1905
Status| Open
Paths| Sealed
Terrain| Flat, Riverbank
Water| Ponds
Vegetation| Australian Native, Lawns, Non-native traditional gardens
Connecting transport| Tram, Bus, Car
Landmarks| Floral Clock
Facilities| Toilets, Seating

The Queen Victoria Gardens are Melbourne's memorial to Queen Victoria. Located on 4.8 hectares (12 acres) opposite the Victorian Arts Centre and National Gallery of Victoria, bounded by St Kilda Road, Alexandra Avenue and Linlithgow Avenue.

Queen Victoria's reign started in 1837, two years after the initial European settlement of Melbourne, and upon her death in 1901 it was thought appropriate to declare an enduring monument to her reign. A memorial statue was commissioned from sculptor James White showing the Queen in ceremonial gowns casting her regal gaze across ornamental lakes, sweeping lawns and rose gardens to the Melbourne Arts Centre Spire and the city skyscrapers.

Queen Victoria Gardens are part of a larger group of parklands directly south-east of the city, between St Kilda Road and the Yarra River known as the Domain Parklands, which includes;

* Royal Botanic Gardens
* Kings Domain
* Alexandra Gardens
* Queen Victoria Gardens

## Features

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A huge floral clock is positioned opposite the National Gallery of Victoria, containing over 7,000 flowering plants which are changed twice yearly. The clock was donated in 1966 to the City of Melbourne by a group of Swiss watchmakers. Behind the clock stands a bronze equestrian statue, a memorial to Queen Victoria's successor, King Edward VII. The statue, by Melbourne born sculptor Bertram Mackennal, was unveiled on 21 July 1920.

### Queen Victoria Memorial

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A granite and marble memorial, commissioned by public subscription from sculptor James White and positioned at the highest point of the gardens, commemorates five aspects of Queen Victoria. The memorial is of white Carrara marble, Harcourt granite and NSW Caloola marble,[1] and was unveiled by Sir John Madden on Empire Day, 24 May 1907.

Originally home to native grasses, she-oaks, wattles, paperbarks, and river red gums, the area now consists of ornamental lakes, sweeping lawns, flowerbeds of annuals, and mature European and Australian trees and shrubs in a landscaped garden.

As well as the monuments to Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, the gardens are notable for their array of sculptures. These include an exploratory play sculpture for children, The Genie, by Tom Bass in 1973. The Pathfinder was manufactured in 1974 by John Robinson and details a bronze Olympic Hammer thrower in action. The Phoenix was sculptured from cast bronze and welded copper sheet by Baroness Yrsa Von Heistner in 1973 to commemorate the 40th International Eucharistic Congress. The Bronze Water Children is an installation by John Robinson, made in 1973, which shows playing children at the top of a stream. The Water Nymph is a kneeling bronze figure sculptured in 1925 by Paul Montford, modelled on Eileen Lillian Prescott.

A classic rotunda was built in 1913 and named after Janet, Lady Clarke, a philanthropist who worked for the welfare of women in Melbourne.

## Gallery

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* The Queen Victoria Gardens' Floral Clock

* Queen Victoria Memorial

* The Janet Lady Clarke Memorial

* Water Nymph

* Domed Drinking Fountain

* Phoenix

* The Genie

* Victoria Police Memorial

* Water Children

* Pathfinder

* Frog

* MPavilion (2023)

* Farnex Hercules

* Apollo Belvedere

* Marquess of Linlithgow Memorial

* Lake Waterfall[2]

* Ornamental lake with Queen Victoria Memorial on the left and Lake Waterfall on the right

## Vandalism

[edit]

Following the Coronation of King Charles III, the statue was doused[3] with red paint.

## See also

[edit]

* MPavilion

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Marble City". Evening News (Sydney). 13 April 1905. p. 2.
2. ^ "Lake Waterfall". City Collection. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
3. ^ "'Disgraceful': Queen Victoria statue vandalised after coronation of King Charles". 9 May 2023.

[1]

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queen Victoria Gardens.

* Melbourne City Council - Queen Victoria Gardens
* Queen Victoria Memorial (including photographs)

* v
* t
* e

Parks and gardens of Melbourne

* Albert Park
* Alexandra Gardens
* Birrarung Marr
* Blackburn Lake Sanctuary
* Brimbank Park
* Carlton Gardens
* Cremorne Gardens
* Edinburgh Gardens
* Fawkner Park
* Fitzroy Gardens
* Flagstaff Gardens
* Footscray Park
* Hays Paddock
* Hedgeley Dene Gardens
* Jells Park
* Keilor Botanic Gardens
* Kings Domain
* Maranoa Botanic Gardens
* Pipemakers Park
* Princes Park
* Queen Victoria Gardens
* Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne
* Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
* Royal Park
* Ruffey Lake Park
* St Kilda Botanical Gardens
* St Vincent Gardens
* Treasury Gardens
* Wattle Park
* Westerfolds Park
* Yarra Park

* v
* t
* e

Landmarks in the Melbourne central business district

Note: this includes landmarks in the Melbourne central business district and its immediate surrounds, not the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area

Precincts|

* Arts
* Chinatown
* Docklands
* East End
* Government
* Greek
* Little Italy
* Paris End
* RMIT Quarter
* Southbank/Wharf
* Sports & Entertainment
* University of Melbourne

Entertainment|

* Aquarium
* Arts Centre
* Convention & Exhibition Centre
* Crown Entertainment Complex
* IMAX Melbourne
* Luna Park
* Sidney Myer Music Bowl
* Theatre District
* Melbourne Zoo

Shopping centres|

* Block Arcade
* Cathedral Arcade
* Collins Place
* DFO South Wharf
* Emporium
* GPO
* Melbourne Central
* Myer Flagship Store
* Queen Victoria Market
* QV
* Royal Arcade
* The District Docklands
* 260 Collins

Public museums|

* ACCA
* ACMI
* Chinese
* Hellenic
* Ian Potter
* Immigration
* Melbourne
* Observatory
* NGV Australia
* NGV International
* Old Melbourne Gaol
* Old Treasury Building
* RMIT Gallery

Institutions|

* Government House
* Town Hall
* Parliament House
* State Library
* Supreme Court
* Victoria Barracks

Notable structures|

* Arts Centre
* Australia 108
* Eureka Tower
* Federation Square
* Royal Exhibition Building
* Shrine of Remembrance
* St Patrick's Cathedral
* St Paul's Cathedral
* Young and Jackson Hotel

Sports venues|

* Docklands Stadium
* Grand Prix Circuit
* Icehouse
* Lakeside Stadium
* Melbourne Cricket Ground
* Melbourne Park (John Cain Arena \- Kia Arena \- Margaret Court Arena \- Rod Laver Arena)
* Rectangular Stadium (AAMI Park)
* Sports & Aquatic Centre
* Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Centre
* Parkville Stadium
* Royal Park Golf Club

Parks and gardens|

* Albert Park
* Alexandra Gardens
* Birrarung Marr
* Carlton Gardens
* Fitzroy Gardens
* Flagstaff Gardens
* Kings Domain
* Queen Victoria Gardens
* Royal Botanic Gardens
* Royal Park
* Treasury Gardens
* Yarra Park

Transport|

* Bolte Bridge
* Capital City Trail
* City Circle tram
* CityLink
* City Loop
* Flinders Street station
* Melbourne Central station
* Princes Bridge
* Southern Cross station
* Trams
* West Gate Bridge
* Yarra River

* v
* t
* e

Queen Victoria

Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), Empress of India (1876–1901)

Events|

* Coronation
* Honours
* Hackpen White Horse
* Wedding
* Wedding dress
* Golden Jubilee
* Honours
* Medal
* Police Medal
* Clock Tower, Weymouth
* Clock Tower, Brighton
* Bust
* Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition
* Diamond Jubilee
* Honours
* Medal
* Jubilee Diamond
* Jubilee Tower
* Cherries jubilee
* Recessional (poem)
* Cunningham Clock Tower
* Devonshire House Ball

Reign|

* Bedchamber crisis
* Prime ministers
* Edward Oxford
* The boy Jones
* Empress of India
* John William Bean
* Victorian era
* Victorian morality
* Visits to Manchester
* Foreign visits
* State visits received
* Death and state funeral
* Mausoleum

Family|

* Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (husband)
* Victoria, German Empress (daughter)
* Edward VII (son)
* Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine (daughter)
* Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (son)
* Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein (daughter)
* Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll (daughter)
* Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (son)
* Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (son)
* Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg (daughter)
* Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (father)
* Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (mother)
* Feodora, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (half-sister)
* Carl, 3rd Prince of Leiningen (half-brother)
* Descendants
* Royal descendants

Early life|

* Kensington System
* John Conroy
* Victoire Conroy
* Louise Lehzen
* Lady Flora Hastings
* Charlotte Percy
* George Davys
* Legitimacy

Honours|

* Places
* Empire Day
* Royal Family Order
* Victoria Day
* Victoria Day (Scotland)
* Victoria Cross
* Victoria (plant)

Depictions|

| Film|

* Sixty Years a Queen (1913)
* Victoria in Dover (1936)
* Victoria the Great (1937)
* Sixty Glorious Years (1938)
* Victoria in Dover (1954)
* Mrs Brown (1997)
* The Young Victoria (2009)
* Victoria & Abdul (2017)
* The Black Prince (2017)
* Dolittle (2020)

|

Television|

* Happy and Glorious (1952)
* Victoria Regina (1961)
* The Young Victoria (1963)
* Victoria & Albert (2001)
* Looking for Victoria (2003)
* Royal Upstairs Downstairs (2011)
* Victoria (2016–2019)

Stage|

* Victoria and Merrie England (1897)
* Victoria Regina (1934)
* I and Albert (1972)

Statues and
memorials|

* List of statues
* London
* Memorial
* Square
* Statue
* Leeds
* St Helens
* Lancaster
* Bristol
* Weymouth
* Chester
* Reading
* Liverpool
* Birmingham
* Birkenhead
* Dundee
* Balmoral cairns
* Guernsey
* Isle of Man
* Valletta
* Gate
* Statue
* Winnipeg
* Montreal
* Square
* Statue
* Victoria, British Columbia
* Toronto
* Regina
* Bangalore
* Hong Kong
* Ahmedabad
* Kolkata
* Visakhapatnam
* Penang
* Sydney
* Building
* Square
* Statue
* Adelaide
* Brisbane
* Melbourne
* Christchurch

Portraits|

* Victoria, Duchess of Kent with Princess Victoria (1821)
* The First Council of Queen Victoria (1838)
* Queen Victoria Enthroned in the House of Lords (1838)
* Coronation Portrait (1838)
* The Coronation of Queen Victoria (1839)
* Queen Victoria Riding Out (1840)
* The Marriage of Queen Victoria (1842)
* Queen Victoria (1843)
* The Arrival of Queen Victoria at the Château d'Eu (1843)
* The Christening of the Prince of Wales (1845)
* The Opening of the Great Exhibition by Queen Victoria (1851–52)
* The Marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal (1860)
* The Marriage of the Prince of Wales (1863–65)

Poetry|

* "The Widow at Windsor" (1892)
* "Recessional" (1897)

Songs|

* Victoria
* Choral Songs

Stamps|

| British|

* Penny Black
* VR official
* Penny Blue
* Two Penny Blue
* Penny Red
* Embossed stamps
* Halfpenny Rose Red
* Three Halfpence Red
* Penny Venetian Red
* Penny Lilac
* Lilac and Green Issue
* Jubilee Issue

|

Colonial|

* Chalon head
* Canada 12d black
* Canada 2c Large Queen
* Ceylon Dull Rose
* India Inverted Head 4 annas
* Malta Halfpenny Yellow
* Mauritius "Post Office" stamps

Related|

* Osborne House
* Queen Victoria's journals
* John Brown
* Abdul Karim
* Pets
* Dash
* Diamond Crown
* Victoriana
* Victoria sponge

* ← William IV
* Edward VII →

1. ^ "'Disgraceful': Queen Victoria statue vandalised after coronation of King Charles". 9 May 2023.

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