Queen Victoria Gardens

Expansive grounds with many sights and mini gardens within. Free admission. Lots of interesting birds to see. Good for running, biking, and walking around it in a loop. Good for a leisurely stroll inside and a place to take kids.

I was walking around the Queen Victoria Garden taking photographs of the sculptures. It seems like the thing to do in this garden — while I was there I met an American tourist who was doing the same thing. The gardens are named after Queen Victoria because of the large white memorial to her located on a hill in the park.
It is a very Edwardian garden with formal lawns, a series of ornamental ponds and lots of sculptures. The 3 palm trees in the middle of the park lawn are an indication, for the British minded population that Melbourne is in, what they would consider, the tropics, not that the weather felt at all tropical today.
Most of the sculptures are not in good condition, the two marble classical busts that stand on either side of the main path have obviously been repaired multiple times, the hammer thrower is missing a hammer and the Phoenix its flames. The only sculpture that is in good repair is Tom Bass’s bronze «Genie», a sphinx-​like creature that was created with the intention that children will climb on it. And there were a group of schoolgirls playing on it and taking each others photograph while posing on it.

As you continue along St Kilda Road (perhaps you have just visited nearby Alexandra Gardens; and want more of a nature fix) you will find more natural beauty and floristry to appreciate. The flower decorations on St Kilda Road; across the road from NGV International (National Gallery of Victoria) are great magnets to wanting some more natural therapy.
And for free, you will not be disappointed with that abundance. Such nature so close to the city tends to remind those fully present to their surroundings a greater appreciation of more abundance in life. The number of parks and gardens within close proximity to each other is amazing. Do not stop your search for nature at this destination.
A great oasis if you are passing through, and would like to immerse yourself in more of Melbourne’s special playgrounds before heading to your ultimate destination at South Yarra: the Royal Botanic Gardens. Allow a bit of time to make this happen: your ideal day in nature. This isn’t the type of garden you would want a picnic lunch in in a hurry; this park is designed to walk through and appreciate. All reading materials should wait until your at the next two parks: the Kings Domain and the Royal Botanic Gardens.