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The Domain Parklands
St Kilda Road, Domain Road, MELBOURNE VIC 3004 - Property No G13001
The Domain Parklands
St Kilda Road, Domain Road, MELBOURNE VIC 3004 - Property No G13001
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Statement of Significance
The Domain parklands, set aside during the 1840s, utilised as the site for Victoria's Government House in the 1870s, planted and landscaped in parallel with the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and Government House during much of its development, complemented by the addition of several newly-developed reserves in the first years of the twentieth century, enlarged by the addition of land from the Government House reserve and utilised for the site of the Shrine and its complementary formal landscaping (both during the 1930s) and maintained in continuous use as public parkland since its initial reservation, is of National cultural significance:
- as one the best examples in Australia of a government domain, with contiguous developments of botanic gardens, government house and domain parkland, comparable in importance to the domains at Sydney and Hobart, and to the parkland setting of Adelaide;
- for the layers of planning and design which can still be read in the now largely unified patchwork of reserves which make up the parkland setting of the Domain; these include incorporation of the grids set out in Hoddle's plan for Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs, the boundary with one of Melbourne's most important boulevard - St Kilda Road, the parkland use established and nurtured by successive botanic gardens directors, the development of the government observatory (from 1861), the development of Government House and its grounds (from 1872) as the crowning element of the Domain, the close link with the development of the botanic gardens (especially in the siting of the herbarium and the redevelopment of the southern portion of the gardens from 1875 following the arrival of Guilfoyle as director), the development of South Yarra Drive from the early 1870s (later realigned and renamed Birdwood Avenue and extended by the development of Linlithgow Avenue), the manner in which the Yarra River was straightened and landscaped to alleviate flooding and the subsequent development of Alexandra Avenue, Linlithgow Avenue and Alexandra Park and Gardens), the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance precinct; these factors have combined to form the layout and path/roadway system which gives the area its current character;
- for its collection of trees, including many fine avenues (especially of elms and Moreton Bay Figs) along Birdwood Avenue and other roadways, and leading to the Shrine; and also many trees of individual significance scheduled on the Register of Significant Trees, including Eucalyptus chapmaniana (Bogong Gum), Eucalyptus grandis (Rose or Flooded Gum), Pinus roxburghii (Long-leaved Indian Pine), Robinia x ambigua 'Decaisneana', Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian Pepper Tree) x4, Populus canadensis 'Aurea', and Pinus brutia (Aleppo Pine), 'The Lone Pine';
- for the incorporation of many important individual pieces of landscaping, buildings or works of art; these include two rustic rockeries in Linlithgow Avenue, South African War Memorial (1904), the Queen Victoria statue (1907), the Marquis of Linlithgow statue (1911), the King Edward VII statue (1911), the Janet Lady Clarke memorial bandstand (1913), the Shrine of Remembrance (1927-34), Pioneer Women's memorial Garden (1934-35), MacRobertson Fountain and floral clock amongst the more prominent;
- for its close relationship with the Yarra River, especially through visual and recreational links;
- for its considerable aesthetic value, derived from attributes such as extensive vistas within the Domain and views both in and out of the parkland, the maturity of the landscaping, the contrast between formal elements around the Shrine and other monuments with the more informal park-like qualities of the landscaping elsewhere, the contiguity of the site with Government House grounds and the Royal Botanic Gardens which allows each element to borrow visual interest from the other (e.g. the views to the Government House tower, or the buffer provided by the botanic gardens to the Domain);
- for its high level of social significance, manifest through high usage/visitation by Melbournians and visitors, especially of facilities/activities within the Domain such as the Shrine of Remembrance, Yarra Bank, Myer Music Bowl, Tan Track Henley Regatta, rowing and other acquatic activities, amongst others, attributable in part to the large size of the parkland, especially in a location so close to the central activities area of the city.
- as one the best examples in Australia of a government domain, with contiguous developments of botanic gardens, government house and domain parkland, comparable in importance to the domains at Sydney and Hobart, and to the parkland setting of Adelaide;
- for the layers of planning and design which can still be read in the now largely unified patchwork of reserves which make up the parkland setting of the Domain; these include incorporation of the grids set out in Hoddle's plan for Melbourne and its surrounding suburbs, the boundary with one of Melbourne's most important boulevard - St Kilda Road, the parkland use established and nurtured by successive botanic gardens directors, the development of the government observatory (from 1861), the development of Government House and its grounds (from 1872) as the crowning element of the Domain, the close link with the development of the botanic gardens (especially in the siting of the herbarium and the redevelopment of the southern portion of the gardens from 1875 following the arrival of Guilfoyle as director), the development of South Yarra Drive from the early 1870s (later realigned and renamed Birdwood Avenue and extended by the development of Linlithgow Avenue), the manner in which the Yarra River was straightened and landscaped to alleviate flooding and the subsequent development of Alexandra Avenue, Linlithgow Avenue and Alexandra Park and Gardens), the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance precinct; these factors have combined to form the layout and path/roadway system which gives the area its current character;
- for its collection of trees, including many fine avenues (especially of elms and Moreton Bay Figs) along Birdwood Avenue and other roadways, and leading to the Shrine; and also many trees of individual significance scheduled on the Register of Significant Trees, including Eucalyptus chapmaniana (Bogong Gum), Eucalyptus grandis (Rose or Flooded Gum), Pinus roxburghii (Long-leaved Indian Pine), Robinia x ambigua 'Decaisneana', Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian Pepper Tree) x4, Populus canadensis 'Aurea', and Pinus brutia (Aleppo Pine), 'The Lone Pine';
- for the incorporation of many important individual pieces of landscaping, buildings or works of art; these include two rustic rockeries in Linlithgow Avenue, South African War Memorial (1904), the Queen Victoria statue (1907), the Marquis of Linlithgow statue (1911), the King Edward VII statue (1911), the Janet Lady Clarke memorial bandstand (1913), the Shrine of Remembrance (1927-34), Pioneer Women's memorial Garden (1934-35), MacRobertson Fountain and floral clock amongst the more prominent;
- for its close relationship with the Yarra River, especially through visual and recreational links;
- for its considerable aesthetic value, derived from attributes such as extensive vistas within the Domain and views both in and out of the parkland, the maturity of the landscaping, the contrast between formal elements around the Shrine and other monuments with the more informal park-like qualities of the landscaping elsewhere, the contiguity of the site with Government House grounds and the Royal Botanic Gardens which allows each element to borrow visual interest from the other (e.g. the views to the Government House tower, or the buffer provided by the botanic gardens to the Domain);
- for its high level of social significance, manifest through high usage/visitation by Melbournians and visitors, especially of facilities/activities within the Domain such as the Shrine of Remembrance, Yarra Bank, Myer Music Bowl, Tan Track Henley Regatta, rowing and other acquatic activities, amongst others, attributable in part to the large size of the parkland, especially in a location so close to the central activities area of the city.
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SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCEVictorian Heritage Register H0848
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FORMER KELLOW FALKINER SHOWROOMSVictorian Heritage Register H0668
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MAJELLAVictorian Heritage Register H0783
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