Queen Victoria Gardens

Smaller from the royal botanic garden but very close to the river. Still its good for chilling and picnic

Incredible large park that offers a very stimulating walk.
The truth is that there are many parks in the city of Melbourne and they are all charming and very well maintained, this one was no different. It is a very large park but not overwhelming so it is ideal to disconnect a little from the hustle and bustle of the city and it also offers incredible views of it, being able to see the skyline of the financial center in an excellent way.
As if that were not enough, there are several points of interest to visit on the grounds of the park itself, such as the rotunda in honor of Janet Lady Clark, the floral clock, the Sidney Mayer auditorium, which can be visited freely if there are no events or the incredible temple of Shinre of Remembrance.
A highly recommended park for those who like tranquility, walking and disconnecting within a large city.

It’s a nice park just right next to the city. There are many roses around at the moment. Nice and quiet place to sit on the benches.

Absolutely love the peace and beauty of this garden! Located right across the NGV, you will find this lovely garden perfect for reading a book or just taking in the sounds and sights that is soothing to your soul.

Quiet and relaxing garden, nothing I can complain about here, the ducks were a bit intimidating. (I’m joking)

Beautiful park with stunning views all around. A nice and relaxing place to spend some time. Could hear music performances from the MPavilion, which was a great addition to the walk around the gardens. Loved the water features!

Stunning gardens situated in the city fringe.
Park walks and picnics, 2021's highlight events.

漂亮精致的公园，公园里的雕塑像面向西方，下午拍它比较好。A beautiful and exquisite park. The sculptures in the park face the west. It is best to take pictures in the afternoon.

Well manicured and maintained gardens right beside the city, views are amazing.
Oppurtunity to watch native bird life around the park, calm and quite environment to relax at any moment and anywhere in the park.
Flowers were blossoming and colours are amazing.

Had singularly the most wonderful day with my closest and dearest. Magnificent location. Only negative is the poor state of the toilets, but understandable considering the number of people in the park over the weekend.

Absolutely stunning gardens, home to the Sydney Myer Music Bowl and a variety of landscaped lakes, gardens and mounuments. It's a really nice place to get lost in, relax, recharge, clear your mind and reflect on one's life. One of Melbourne's jewels, it's a very special place.

I love it there. It’s always clean and quiet with nice flowers and lots of tree shade and very nice grass which makes it very inviting to sit and relax

Great ceremony spot during these CoVid times. Peaceful and clean area with nice sunset and city views as well as amenities easily accessible.

It's near to Melbourne Yarra River, you can walk and enjoy with friends and family. Really beautiful and peaceful!

Amazing place to sit and relax especially in Autumn- lovely spot to watch the sunset with the red/brown leaves while watching the city pass on by

The Queen Victoria Gardens if seen from above, are a triangular formation and many tourists confuse these gardens with The Domain and Alexandra Gardens, but they are all separate areas, despite being part of the Domain Parklands. They run along St Kilda Road and around to the Art Centre.

During the COVID-19 restrictions [still current but lifting slowly] my daily walk extends to these areas. Areas I had not had the time to explore until now. There are some hidden treasures inside these gardens in the form of treelined pathways and some incredible monuments and sculptures, which I will write about today.

Since I was little when we came to the city we would head to the Floral Clock [which is operational] to see what designs and flowers were being used at that time. Right now they have made the word 'Melbourne' with some pansies and other flowers and small plants around it. Worth a having a look as it changes during the different seasons. [2 photos below]

Behind it is the King Edward VII monument and if you continue on you will come to a rotunda named afterJanet Lady Clarke. This area is popular for weddings and as restrictions are slowly being lifted, currently houses small groups for PT sessions.

If you continue around the path you will come upon a majestic monument dedicated to Queen Victoria opened in 1907. It shows the Queen in various poses. The whole area is immaculately cared for and you can see gardeners regularly cleaning paths, raking leaves, cleaning the ornamental ponds, pruning trees and bushes etc.

This area is part of the Melbourne City Walks - the sculptures and worth doing. As you enter the gardens from the St Kilda Road / Bridge entrance you are greeted by 2 busts of Apollo and Hercules [1780 - artists unknown] - though they have become a little battered and vandalised over the years, they still are in very good shape, even with the nose jobs! [You will understand when you look at them up close].

From there you can spend some time hunting for the sculptures:
[I have photographed them below]
Tom Bass's 'The Genie' - 1973
Paul Montford 'The Water Nymph' - 1920,
Yrsa Von Leister's 'The Phoenix' - 1973
John Edward Robinson's 'Water Children'- 1970
John Olsen's 'The Frog' - 2015
John Edward Robinson's 'The Path Finder [Hammer Thrower]' - 1974

As you are looking for these pieces of art you will be walking along lovely, winding paths surrounded by trees, flowers etc and even some ornamental ponds complete with ducks, geese and other water fowls. There are plenty of places to seat yourself and mediate, take your coffee to, read a book, exercise, photograph and improve your overall wellbeing.

You can get to these areas by car, though parking isn't cheap, or you can take a train to Flinders Street Station and walk down - 7mins max or take the tram and stop off outside the Art Centre or National Gallery and cross the road.

I love these gardens and never tire of their always changing beauty. I usually spend about 30-60mins walking around them - especially for photography / exercise.

I conduct indigenous Boonwurrung tours from here. Significant for Melbourne for so many reasons. Peaceful, yet so near the hustle and bustle of the CBD. A little too manicured for my personal liking, and surrounded by introduced alien fauna. All considered in your discussion Original home site to my family, and great spot to sit, look and reflect on the birth of Melbourne to present day.

I remember practicing my monologues and songs there which was really nice and peaceful with a small group of people who became my audience.

Trees! There are a great many beautiful old trees here, well-maintained lawns, and lovely ponds.

Lovely area with some exceptionally kept gardens and grassed areas. Easy to find and navigate around. Always seems to be kept very clean.