Fitzroy Gardens

Overview

Fitzroy Gardens is one of Melbourne's oldest and most beautiful parks, a 26-hectare heritage-listed garden featuring grand elm-lined avenues, themed garden beds, and historic structures.

Highlights

• Cook's Cottage: The childhood home of Captain James Cook, transported brick by brick from Yorkshire, England in 1934.
• Fairy Tree: A 300-year-old river red gum carved with fairy, gnome, and animal figures by sculptor Ola Cohn in 1931–1934.
• Conservatory: A beautiful Spanish Mission-style glasshouse hosting five seasonal flower displays each year.

History

Reserved as a public garden in 1848, Fitzroy Gardens was designed in a distinctive Union Jack layout (visible from above) by Edward La Trobe Bateman. The elm avenues, some planted in the 1860s, are among the finest in the world.

Visitor Tips

• Morning Walk: The gardens are particularly peaceful in the early morning before tour buses arrive.
• Free Entry: All gardens are free; Cook's Cottage charges a small admission fee.
• Duration: 45–60 minutes.