Greenmeadows Gardens Walks (St Kilda East)
.jpg "Greenmeadows Gardens Walks (St Kilda East)")
Enjoy a gentle walk around of one Glen Eira's oldest parks tucked away in the grounds of the original Greenmeadows Estate. Observe a variety of plant species as well as ornamental gates and lampposts and a range of period homes along historic Lempriere Avenue.
Download the walking guide:
Difficulty: Easy
Accessibility: Paths are wide and sealed.
Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, playground, rotunda, water fountains and seating.
Hazards: Be aware of puddles on tracks during rainy periods; fallen leaves on footpath in Lempriere Avenue during autumn. Northern end of Greenmeadows Gardens is a dog off-leash park between 6am to 9am. All other times the park is an on-leash park.
Location: The corner of Green Road and Milburn Grove offers a flat, wide entry point to start the walk.
Melway reference: 58 G12
Parking: Street parking available along Green Road and Lempriere Avenue.
Public transport: Tram route 3/3a, 16: stop 42.
Bus 220: stop Milburn Grove.
Bus 216/219: stop Melby Avenue
Walk Routes
In the second half of the 19th century, Caulfield was a largely underdeveloped district south-east of Melbourne, sprinkled with mansion estates and grand villas. One such estate was Greenmeadows Estate, occupied by the prominent Lempriere family from as early as 1863.
Greenmeadows boasted a grand villa fronting onto Meadow Street, sweeping lawns and a rear cow paddock. In 1913, Caulfield City Council purchased the paddock to develop a recreation reserve. The watering hole was filled and the ploughed fields levelled. Hundreds of flowers were planted and winding paths led to a beautiful floral display in the centre.
Walk one (420m)
Begin at the gate near the corner of Green Street and Milburn Grove (1). These gates date back to the early days of the park with local residents contributing 25 pounds towards their cost.
Before you start, look to the left for the River Red Gum (2), estimated to be more than 200 years old and a remnant of what was once a dense forest. The River Red Gum was used by Aboriginal people for a variety of purposes: bark to make shelter and canoes, sap to seal burns and leaves to make aromatic steam baths.
Keep to your right and head north until you reach the central display (3). Until the late 1940s, the central display was more star-shaped and surrounded by a salt bush hedge. It also once boasted an elaborate fountain and fish pond bequeathed to Council by a local resident. Removed in 1973, the
pond base and fountain pedestal still exist underneath the modern plantings.
Continue along the path until you reach the sign at the northern junction (4). Did you know that other names considered included Lempriere Park and West End Park?
To complete the circuit walk, turn left. Follow the path around the gardens in an anticlockwise loop. Head down the path until you reach the children's playground (5). Finish back at the River Red Gum. Alternatively, from the northern junction continue straight ahead towards Lempriere Avenue to complete walk two.
Walk two (500m)
Continue straight ahead and exit the gardens at the northern end where it meets Lempriere Avenue (6). The houses in Lempriere Avenue were built mainly in 1927-1928 as part of a prized garden estate development and were mostly Spanish mission with several Californian bungalows.
Stop and admire the ornamental gates. These were installed by Caulfield City Council to connect the park with the new development.
(7) The house at number 12 was the original Estate display home and furnished especially by the developers.
As you proceed along the street, admire the mature Liquidambars and the generous setbacks, side drives and low fences, all unique features of the garden estate.
(8) Take special note of the street lamps installed to replicate the originals. Lempriere Avenue was one of the first streets in Melbourne to have underground cabling for electricity and telephone. That is why there are no overhead wires.
At the corner of Lempriere Avenue and Balaclava Road, look down to see the tiled street sign (9). Cross over Lempriere Avenue and head back towards the Gardens.
(10) Number 5 and 7 - these were built later in the 1940s.
(11) The house at number 17 was designed by one of the architects behind the Shrine of Remembrance - J H Wardrop.
Once you re-enter the park, take the first right to complete the circuit around the Gardens and finish the walk back at the corner of Green Road and Milburn Grove near the River Red Gum.
Review:
A series of pleasant walks which can be combined together with a splash of landscaped park and historical housing estate. There are toilets, tables, BBQs, water tap and playground to complete the picture.
Photos:
Location
Cnr Green Street and Milburn Grove, St Kilda East 3183 Map
Web Links
→ Glen Eira Self-guided Walking Tours
→ Greenmeadows Gardens Walk Guide (PDF)
