Edinburgh Gardens, Melbourne

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Fitzroy Memorial Rotunda, erected in 1925

Edinburgh Gardens is a large park located in North Fitzroy. It is bounded by Brunswick Street and St. Georges Road to the west, the curve of Alfred Crescent to the north and east, and Freeman Street to the south. It was created from a grant of land in 1865 by Queen Victoria and laid out by Clement Hodgkinson, who designed many of Melbourne's parks and gardens. At approximately 7hectares in size, the park is large by inner urban standards. At one point, the gardens were plagued by locals using it as a rubbish dump.

The park is unique due not only to the size, but also the strange features, and unusual history of the reserve. For example, the centrepiece of the park is a pedestal designed to hold a large statue of Queen Victoria. However, this statue only stood watch over the gardens for three years before mysteriously going missing more than a century ago. It was never replaced, and the bare plinth remains as a strange reminder. Another interesting historical feature was the train line that once bisected the gardens. This line was built in the latter part of the nineteenth century as an extension to the Inner Circle Train Line, leading from the old line adjacent to Park Street in the north and leading at one stage to Fitzroy Railway Station, located behind Brunswick Street Oval. This station was never viable, and was closed only a few years after being built. The area was then used as a freight yard until the 1980's. As late as 2003, the old pedestrian bridge was still in place in the south-west of the gardens, before being removed to make way for a low-rise housing development on the site. Some sections of the ancient track are still visible through the park.

[edit] W.T. Peterson Community Oval

The grandstand at the W. T. Peterson Community Oval, built 1888

An Australian rules football oval located at the south-western corner of the gardens, the W.T. Peterson Community Oval (named after a 21-year veteran of the Fitzroy City Council) (GC: 37°47′20.54″S, 144°58′51.26″E ) is better known to generations of Fitzroy Football Club supporters as the Brunswick Street Oval. The ground has a capacity of approximately 15,000 spectators. It served as the club's home ground in the VFA competition, and later the VFL competition from 1883 until 1966. The playing ground is now framed by the remaining original features of the oval: the visiting members gate structure at the corner Freeman and Brunswick Streets, and late nineteenth century grandstand, gates and ticket box on the opposite side of the oval. The main grandstand is on the Victorian Heritage Register.

[edit] Fire Gatherings

Activity in the park in the last few years has been occasioned by a weekly fire-twirling night, traditionally held on Wednesdays near the rotunda. This runs all year round, usually quietening down in the Winter and then peaking in attendance during the summer months when the nights are warmer and the energy is high. The gatherings are mostly attended by Melbourne fire-twirlers and members of the local psychedelic trance scene. Usually beginning at 8:30-9pm and running until midnight, it has provided a wonderful opportunity for pros and newcomers alike to learn new tricks, demonstrate skills and share stories and advice about all things fire-twirling.