Secret Gardens - Melbourne

This walk started in the Queen Victoria Gardens where hundreds of trees were planted when piped water arrived in the late 1980's.

Standing proud among the parkland is the Shrine of Remembrance was created to meet the needs of a grieving community after the extensive loss of lives in the First World War (1914 –18).

114,000 Victorians enlisted in the First World War.

Of the 89,000 of them who served abroad 19,000 were killed. They were buried in distant graves far from home at a time when most Australians did not travel abroad.

The Shrine provided a place where Victorians could grieve as individuals, as families or as a community and where they could honour and preserve the memories of those they had lost.

Sunk into the centre of the Sanctuary floor like a grave, the Stone of Remembrance is a potent reminder of the sacrifice made by Victorian service men and women. The inscription GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN is taken from the Bible, the Gospel of John, 15:13.

The missing brick you can see in the ceiling creates an aperture for the The Ray of Light ceremony. A ray of natural sunlight passes through the aperture in the ceiling of the Sanctuary and falls onto the Stone of Remembrance over the word “love” at precisely 11.00 am on 11 November each year. This is the moment when the armistice was signed in 1918 marking the end of hostilities in the First World War. The ceremony is now reproduced every half hour using electric light to allow all visitors to the Shrine to experience it.

Frank Doolan, the surveyor of the Shrine, and astronomer, Dr Joseph Baldwin completed the arduous calculations to position the aperture with the help of the government. Decades later, Doolan solved the problem presented by daylight saving by inserting two mirrors within the aperture’s shaft.

The Perpetual Flame was lit and the forecourt was dedicated by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 28th February 1954

The Australian Hellenic Memorial, September 2001 - dedicated to the memory of those Australians who served and died in the Greek Campaign and in World War II, celebrating the bond forged between the peoples of Australia and Greece. The Oikos, the focal sculptural element, is made of two stones; the upper limestone portion if from Crete, while the bluestone base is from an Australian quarry.

The walk continued into the lush green world of the Botanical Gardens, one of Victoria's most popular tourist destinations.

Originally an Aboriginal mission, the gardens were established in 1846 and cover 38 hectares. The gardens are home to an astounding 52,000 plants and 12,000 species from around the globe.

The Gardens' first director Ferdinand von Mueller introduced many in the 1850's.

There are several lakes

including the Japanese Pond

The peaceful winding path led us past the National Hebarium, and the Tropical Glasshouse

Titan Arum - one of the world's most fascinating plants was about to bloom!

The stunning Titan Arum, also known as Corpse Flower was currently growing at a rate of 10cm per day! Usually pollinated by flies or beetles, the flowers give off a powerful fragrance upon opening - much like the smell of a rotting corpse!

The Rose Pavilion was restored to commemorate the centenary of the Gardens' Principal Sponsor, Pacific Dunlop Ltd, in 1993.

Chinese Garden - exotic flowers depicted in Chinese art inspired early plant collectors. Many of the plants that were collected have since been hybridised to suit Australian conditions.

Bluestone steps

take you up past the Directors Wall

Temple of the Winds - designed by Guilfoyle and built in 1901, dedicated to Lt Governor Charles La Trobe who selected the gardens' site and nurtured their early growth.

The view from the Temple looks across to Melbourne Park

Lych Gate - literally meaning 'body gate'. Roofed Lych Gates were originally built in churchyards to shelter coffins awaiting burial.

King's Domain - The Grotto was once a quarry, nowadays it's an enchanting hidden fern gully.

Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden - created as a memorial to the pioneer women of Victoria, as part of the celebrations of Melbourne's Centenary in 1934. It was designed as a sanctuary to represent the 'old world' that pioneer women sacrificed when they moved to Australia.

Sidney Myer Music Bowl which draws thousands of people for open-air concerts.

King George V Statue - who allowed King's Domain as a title for the park when the grounds were enlarged and upgraded in the mid 1930's. King's Domain is a significant site for many Indigenous people as it includes a burial site of 38 Aboriginal people.

Edward VII Statue - Queen Victoria's son.

Sculptures in the park, including The Phoenix, The Pathfinder, The Water Children and The Water Nymph.

The Genie - A fantasy play sculpture for children.

A beautiful walk...

in a great city