Secret Gardens

This walk tour will take you to the south-east of Melbourne city across the Yarra River.

This is the parkland belt of Melbourne, which covers the area between St Kilda Road and Yarra River. The main garden is the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is adjacent to a group of parklands.

This group parklands is also known as Domain Parklands, which includes Alexandria Gardens, Queen Victoria and Kings Domain.

The crown of the parklands is the Shrine of Remembrance, which a magnificent building to honour Australia’s war dead.

Pick up this brochure from Melbourne Visitor Booth at the Federation Square or the booth in Bourke Street Mall.

In the brochure is an elaborate map, which shows all the attractions of this walk tour.

You can also download a pdf copy here.

We’ll be following the numbering of the attractions indicated in this brochure. The location of the attractions can be a bit tricky to find as we’ll be in a large garden with few signages.

Let’s go.

1. Queen Victoria Gardens

Start the tour from Federation Square and walk south to cross Princess Bridge towards St Kilda Road.

When you are opposite the Victorian Arts Centre, walk down the steps into Queen Victoria Gardens.

Melbourne Victor Centre at Federation Square — You can pick up a copy of the walk tour brochure here.

Princess Bridge across Yarra River — As you cross Princess Bridge, notice the many activities on the river.

Queen Victoria Gardens is part of the Domain Parklands.

Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne — Go down the steps leading to Queen Victoria Gardens.

2. Queen Victoria Monument

The Queen Victoria Gardens was set up as a memorial to Queen Victoria. In addition, a grand memorial statue was commissioned after Queen Victoria death in 1901.

There are a total of five statues on the monument. The Queen statue, in ceremonial gowns, is right at the top. There are four other statues on each side representing different aspects of Queen Victoria’s reign – wisdom, justice, progress and history.

Queen Victoria Monument, Melbourne — The Queen Victoria Monument was unveiled in 1907. The sculpture is made from white marble and granite.

Marble Statue of Justice; Queen Victoria Memorial - Melbourne — Marble Statue of Justice, Queen Victoria Memorial.

Marble Statue of Progress, Queen Victoria Memorial, Melbourne — Marble Statue of Progress, Queen Victoria Memorial.

Detail of Marble Statue of Wisdom; Queen Victoria Memorial - Melbourne — Detail of Marble Statue of Wisdom, Queen Victoria Memorial.

Marble Statue of History; Queen Victoria Memorial - Melbourne — Marble Statue of History, Queen Victoria Memorial.

3. Sculptures

Wonder around the Queen Victoria Gardens to marvel at the many sculptures that dotted the vast green lawns.

These sculptures are spread out so you may have to look out for them.

Water Nymph sculpture, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne — “The Water Nymph” by Paul Montford, 1925.

The Genie sculpture, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne — “The Genie” by Tom Bass in 1973. It’s a bronze sculpture of a fantasy winged sphinx.

The Phoenix sculpture, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne — “The Phoenix” by Baroness Yrsa Von Leistner. Baroness Yrsa Von Leistner. Other features of the sculpture were broken off and were not replaced.

he Pathfinder sculpture, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne — “The Pathfinder” by John Robinson, 1974. The hammer in the sculpture was stolen and had been replaced recently.

4. Floral Clock

Walk towards St Kilda road and you will find the Floral Clock.

The Floral Clock, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne — A group of Swiss watchmakers donated the clock to the City of Melbourne in 1966.

5. King Edward VII Statue

Above the Floral Clock is the equestrian statue of King Edward VII, who succeeded Queen Victoria.

King Edward VII statue, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne — Kind Edward VII statue in full dress uniform of a British field marshal.

6. “Tan”

Cross Linlithgow Avenue and near Walker Fountain, walk towards the ‘Tan’. This is where many Melbournians come to jog.

The Walker Fountain, The Kings Domain, Melbourne — The fountain was donated by former Melbourne mayor Ron Walker and his wife, Barbara. It has 47 underwater lights and 144 individual water sprays.

Tan Track, Kings Domain, Melbourne — Now officially known as ‘Tan Track’, which was formally a horse track for the wealthy Melbournians.

7. Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Follow the map and the sign on Kings Domain to locate Sidney Myer Music Bowl. It’s up at the top of a small hill.

It is an open air performance venue, which won prizes for its unique design.

Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Kings Domain, Melbourne — The Sidney Myer Music Bowl was named after Russian immigrant Simcha Baevski, who later changed his name to Sidney Myer.

The Victorian Police Memorial, Kings Domain, Melbourne — The Victorian Police Memorial was opened in 2002.

Close by is the Victorian Police Memorial, which a tribute to the 150 police officers who were killed in the line of duty.

Further up the walk path is the Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop statue.

Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop Statue, Kings Domain, Melbourne — Sir Edward Dunlop was a prisoner of war during the Japanese occupation in South East Asia. He was sent to work on the infamous Burma-Thailand railway.

8. King George

As you follow the walk pathway towards the Shrine of Remembrance, you will come across the statue of King George.

King George V Statue, Kings Domain, Melbourne — The sculptor of King George V statue was William Leslie Bowles.

9. Kings Domain

The Kings Domain is part of the Domain Parkland. It is also the location of the King George V memorial that allowed Kings Domain as a title for the park.

Kings Domain, Domain Parkland, Melbourne — The pathway leading to King George V memorial.

10. Aboriginal Burial Stone

We had much difficulties trying to locate the Aboriginal Burial Stone even though we tried to follow the signage on the pathways. The Aboriginal Burial Stone is located at the slope of the hill and is not easily visible from the pathway.

Aboriginal Burial Stone, Kings Domain, Melbourne — It is the burial site of the skeletal remains of 38 Aborigines.

On the way to the Shrine of Remembrance you will come across the Government House Drive, which leads to the Government House of Melbourne.

The Government House is the office and the official residence of the Governor of Victoria.

There are two prominent memorials at the start of Government House Drive.

One is the memorial to Sir John Monash, who was the Commander in Chief of the Australian Forces during World War I. The other is the memorial to Sir Thomas Blamey, who was Australia’s first Field Marshal.

Sir John Monash statue, Kings Domain, Melbourne — Sir John Monash statue.

Statue of Sir Thomas Blamey, Kings Domain, Melbourne — Statue of Sir Thomas Blamey.

11. Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance is a very prominent building in the Kings Domain. It is one of the largest war memorials in Australia.

It was built to commemorate the men and women of Victoria who were killed in line of duty during World War I, but now it is a memorial to all Australians who served in the war.

Inside the Shrine of Remembrance, along the aisles surrounding the four sides of the central Sanctuary, are Books of Remembrance, National flags and ensigns.

Ceremonial Avenue, looking towards the city of Melbourne from the shrine — The spectacular views of the city from the balcony of the Shrine of Remembrance.

West view from Shrine of Remembrance balcony — A view of the West Gate Bridge from the west side of balcony.

12. Observatory Gate

Observatory Gate, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — The entrance to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Just opposite the Shrine of Remembrance is the Observatory Gate.

The Observatory Gate is the entrance to the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

13. The Old Observatory Buildings

The Melbourne Observatory was constructed in 1868 and it housed the largest telescope in the world for 20 years. The telescope was referred to as the Great Melbourne Telescope.

The Old Observatory Building, Royal Botanic Garden, Melbourne — The Old Observatory Building (silver colour dome) view from the Shrine of Remembrance balcony.

Besides the Old Observatory Building is a very popular café, Jardin Tan.

Jardin Tan Restaurant, Old Observatory Building, Melbourne — Jardin Tan serve French-Vietnamese fusion dishes.

14. The Royal Botanic Gardens

The initial plans of the Royal Botanic Gardens were to provide an orchard of vast varieties of flowers and plant for the public to enjoy.

Since then it has grown greatly and now have more than 52,000 plants and 12,000 species from around the globe.

The gardens are separated into various themed sections such as herb garden, arid garden, fern gully, bulbs and rose garden.

Other than these themed sections, there are also various well maintained lawns of various sizes, which are very popular for picnics and family gatherings.

These lawns are such as Huntingford Lawn, Hopetoun Lawn, Northern Lawn, Tennyson Lawn, Princes Lawn, Central Lawn, Western Lawn, Eastern Lawn, Oak Lawn, Southern Lawn and Australian Lawn.

You can download a pdf copy of the Royal Botanic Gardens map here.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Various animal shapes plants greet you at the entrance to the garden.

Children's Garden, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — A garden for children for all ages and abilities to discover the beauty of plants and flowers.

Fountain at the Children's Gardens, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — A child having a great time at the fountain play.

15. National Herbarium

Follow the walk path and look out for the sign to the National Herbarium.

The National Herbarium is an important botanic library and it houses the entire collection of 1.2 million plant specimens.

The National Herbarium, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — The State Botanical Collection is housed here in the National Herbarium.

16. Guilfoyle Memorial

Just beside the National Herbarium is the Guilfoyle Memorial.

The memorial is to acknowledged the great work of Willaim Robert Guilfoyle, who was the architect of the Royal Botanic Gardens and also several other gardens, such as the Parliament House Garden.

The sculpture of the memorial represent the growing stages from seed to an advanced shoot.

Guilfoyle Memorial, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — The sculpture is made from bronze and brass.

17. Western Lawn

Just slightly to the left of the Guilfoyle Memorial is the Western Lawn, which is one the non-native tough-wearing lawns in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Western Lawn, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Popular place for picnic.

18. Oak Lawn

Just opposite the Western Lawn is the Oak Lawn.

Oak Lawn, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Another vast lawn.

19. Camellia Collection

There are 950 collections of various Camellia species in this garden. Take your time to enjoy some of them.

Camellia Collection, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Follow the signs to get to the Camellia collection.

20. Herb Garden

Follow the sign to get to the Herb Garden.

The Herb Garden has a wide range of herbs and at any time of the year you can enjoy the sweet scented fragrance from these plants.

The Herb Garden, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Entrance to the Herb Garden.

21. Central Lawn

As the name suggests, Central Lawn is located at the centre of the Royal Botanic Gardens and it is on a little hill.

At the top of the hill, you will be able to see the majestic white tower of the Government House.

Central Lawn, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — A lovely place for picnic and it is also a venue for Melbourne Moonlight Cinema.

22. Terrace Café and Tea Rooms

Walk a little further, you will come to a lake and this where the Terrace Café and Tea Rooms is located.

Have a cuppa and enjoy the view of the ornamental lake.

Terrace Café and Tea Rooms, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — The café is a great place to experience a Devonshire tea as it’s known for its scones, cream and jam.

Ornamental Lake, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Seat outside and enjoy the Ornamental Lake view.

There is also a guided boat tour of the Ornamental Lake.

Guided boat tour on the Ornamental Lake, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Just outside the Terrace cafe is the landing for the guided boat tour.

23. Rose Pavilion

The Rose Pavilion is one of the favourite place for a wedding ceremony. It has a lovely view of the Dog Flat and the Ornamental Lake.

The Rose Pavilion, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Built from red sandstone, it’s a lovely venue for a wedding ceremony.

Dog Flat, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Dog Flat lawn, a beautiful view of the Ornamental Lake.

24. Long Island

Unfortunately we were unable to get to Long Island as it was under repair when we were there. We apologise for skipping this one.

25. ‘H’ Gate

The ‘H’ Gate is one of the entrance to the Royal Botanic Garden, which is closed at certain time of the day.

This gate helps to locate the Southern Chinese Collection, which is just close by.

Southern China Collection, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbouirne — The plant bed here may not represent a traditional Chinese garden but some of the elements here use Chinese garden design.

26. Garden Directors’ Names

Garden Directors' Names, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Honouring the list of directors from 1846 till the present day.

You will have to look out for the rock, which have the names of the garden directors carved out on the rock surface.

27. Aboriginal Heritage Plaque

Nearby is the Aboriginal Heritage plaque.

Aboriginal Heritage Plaque, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — It may be difficult to look for this plaque.

28. Plant Craft Cottage

Walk up the bluestone steps and you come to the Plant Craft cottage, which is half way up the stairway.

Plant craft skills are demonstrated in the cottage. Please check their website for the demonstration days here.

Bluestone steps, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — Walk up these steps.

Plant Craft Cottage, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — During demonstration days, you can learn traditional plant craft here.

29. Grey Garden

Grey Garden steps, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — These plants are able to grow in adverse environments.

The grey garden is found below the Temple of the Winds. They are succulent plants, which have silver or grey colouring due to their leaf hairs or waxy coating.

30. Temple of the Winds

The Temple of the Winds was dedicated to the Lt Governor Charles La Trobe in 1901. It was built by William Guilfoyle.

It sits on a hill overlooking the Yarra River.

Temple of the Winds, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — You can get a view of Yarra River and Alexandra Avenue during winter when there are less tree leaves to block the view.

31. Huntingfield Lawn

Huntingfield Lawn, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — The pathway leads to the Lych Gate.

Just opposite of the Temple of the Winds is the Huntingfield Lawn.

The Huntingfield Lawn was named after Governor Lord Huntingfield.

32. Lych Gate

‘Lych’ is an old English word for corpse and in medieval time the priest would wait at the gate for the burial party to bring the corpse. A roof is built over the gate to provide shelter for the party of people.

However, in Victorian times, lych gates were built as memorials to prominent people or as war memorials.

Lych Gate, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — View of the Lych Gate from the outside of Royal Botanic Gardens.

33. The Grotto

Walk through the Lych Gate and turn right to go down the steps, which lead to the former quarry site. Now it has been turned into an enchanting fern gully.

The Grotto, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — The steps leading down to the Grotto.

34. Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden

As part of the 1932 Melbourne Centenary Celebration, the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Gardens was created to recognise the contribution made by Victoria’s female pioneers.

Now it is a very popular wedding ground to host wedding ceremony.

The Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne — The ‘T’ shaped sunken pond leads to a blue tiled grotto with a bronze women figure.

35. Yarra River

Follow the walk path, which will lead to Alexandra Avenue. Cross Alexandra Avenue and walk down the banks of Yarra River.

Bank of Yarra River — Once you cross Alexandra Avenue, you will come to the Yarra River bank.

36. Swan Street Bridge

Walk under the Swan Street Bridge and follow the pathway towards the city.

Watch out for cyclists and joggers.

Swan Street Bridge, Melbourne — Walk under the bridge towards the city.

City skyline from Yarra River, Melbourne — Beautiful view of the city skyline from the pathway along the river.

Yarra River, Melbourne — Students practising their rowing skills on Yarra River.

37. Henley Landing

You could easily miss this Henley Landing when walking from Swan Street bridge because there is no sign to indicate where it is. However, if you are coming from the city you will be able to see the sign at the beginning of Henley Landing.

It was a wharf used for the previous famous annual boat races between Oxford and Cambridge universities.

Henley Landing, Yarra River, Melbourne — The brown strip on the right of the cycle path is Henley Landing, which you can easily miss it.

38. Rowers War Memorial

At the end of Henley Landing walk up the grass bank towards Alexandra Avenue and you will see a lone structure, which is the Rowers War Memorial.

The memorial bears the names of 316 Victorian rowers who were killed during World War I.

Rowers War Memorial, Melbourne — The names on the memorial were members from Victorian Rowing Association, which explains the name ‘Rowers’ as a tribute to them.

39. Alexandra Gardens

Walk along the path way towards Alexandra Gardens. The most prominent feature of the garden is the roll of historic rowing boathouses lining the Yarra River.

Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne — The gardens were named after Queen Alexandra in 1904.

Boathouse along Yarra River — One of the boathouses that lined Yarra River bank.

40. Avenue of Elms

Avenue of elms on Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne — Matured elms lined the edge of Alexandra Gardens.

Walk along the street towards the Riverslide Skate Park.

41. Riverslide Skate Park

The Riverslide Skate Park is the biggest skate park in the inner city of Melbourne.

Riverslide Skate Park, Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne — It was designed with the inputs from skaters.

42. Star Bed of Flowers

As you walk towards the city, at the end of Alexandra Garden, you can spot an unusual shape flower bed. You notice carefully, you will notice the ‘star’ shaped flower bed.

Star Bed of Flowers, Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne — From far, it’s difficult to see that it’s a star bed of flowers.

43. Federation Square

With the star bed of flowers, we have come to the end of the ‘Secret Gardens’ walk tour.

Walk along St Kilda road and head back towards Federation Square.

Federation Wharf from Princess Bridge, Melbourne — As you head back to Federation Square, why not drop by Federation Wharf for a drink.

Riverland, Federation Wharf, Melbourne — There are three bar and café to choose from at the Federation Wharf.

At the end of this walk tour, we are heading to Federation Wharf for a drink and give our feet a rest.

We hope you have enjoyed the tour. Please take a moment to leave us a positive comment and share us on your favourite social media.

Thank you.