EXPLORING THE CITY OF STONNINGTON 7
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Central Park, with its conservatory
and fountain, sweeping lawns and
mature exotic trees, has remained
faithful to its original design concept,
although its history is one of change.
According to the National Trust of
Australia (Victoria), Central Park is
one of the best designed gardens in
the State. The layout of the park is
a conventional nineteenth century
town-square design of crossed
diagonal paths for through access
and passive recreation. The park is
embellished with avenue trees, shrubs
and flower beds, and is adjoined by an
oval for cricket and other team sports.
The conservatory is located on the
highest point, adjacent to the sunken
garden with its restored fountain.
Central Park’s 18 acre (8 hectares)
site was purchased in 1906 by the
Malvern Town Council for £5,000. It
formed part of a 65 acre subdivision,
set up in 1885 by the Gascoigne
Land Company. Hasler Street was
proposed through the Central Park
site. Between 1891 and 1907 the
mortgagees permitted a large tract of
their land, including the Central Park
site, to be used as a golf course. The
course extended between Waverley
Road and Wattletree Road and over
Burke Road, past the waterhole
which was to become the lake at the
Hedgeley Dene Gardens. The (Royal)
Melbourne Golf Club used the
land from 1891, but when the club
moved to
Sandringham
in 1901, the
course was
taken over by
the Caulfield
Golf Club.
This club
became the
Metropolitan
when it
moved to
Oakleigh in
1907.
In 1911 a timber-framed kiosk,
with a large refreshment room and
accommodation for a caretaker,
was constructed on the corner of
TEA KIOSK 1918
Both Clubs did little to improve the
land and when Malvern Council took
over the Central Park site in 1907 the
land was still undeveloped farmland.
Council selected a plan showing a
sports oval at the northern end and
later in the year the park was given its
official title of Central Park. In 1908,
tree planting commenced under the
direction of Malvern’s curator
Thomas Pockett and fences (which
were later removed) were installed to
keep out straying stock.
Francis L Reeves was appointed
Curator in the 1920s and under his
direction the gardens were redesigned
to include a Conservatory and
curving paths.
Wattletree Road and Burke Road. A
supper room was added in the 1920s
and dances, meetings and receptions
were held at the kiosk, until the
poor state of the building led to its
demolition in 1973. A timber Band
Rotunda built in 1916 was constantly
in use during the 1930s but was
demolished in 1951.
One hundred and eighty five
kurrajong trees were planted as
memorials to Malvern’s soldiers who
died in the Great War, and although
it appears these were planted as an
avenue around the path adjoining
the oval, they failed to prosper. Most
were shifted to the Kingston Street
frontage where some of the trees may
be seen today.
The War Memorial at the corner of
Kingston Street and Wattletree Road
was re-located from the Malvern
Town Hall to its present site in 1992.
The granite obelisk, which lists the
names of soldiers who lived in the
City of Malvern and who died during
World War I, was originally erected
near the Malvern Cricket Ground in
1922.
Central Park
Conservatory was
erected in 1927 at
a cost of £3,500.
Located on an
artificial mound
originally intended
for planting, the
conservatory was an
important addition
and focus for the
park, and proved an
immediate success
with the public.
In his 1928-29 report the
Curator recorded
“... Sunday afternoon appears to be
the favourite ... and as many as 2000
visitors have been counted on a single
afternoon.”
The north and south wings were
intended for seasonal displays of
annuals to be viewed through the
glass. The large central section
was open to the public and held
permanent displays of palms, ferns,
aspidistras and tropical plants, as well
as changing displays of annuals. A hot
water circulating system was installed
to supply the necessary heat and
wooden roller blinds were fitted to
give the necessary shade.
A sunken garden was built adjacent
to the Conservatory to contain the
marble fountain presented in 1928
WILMOT FOUNTAIN AND CONSERVATORY 1929
by the Mayor, Cr Harry Wilmot. The
marble drinking fountain located on
the east side of the park was presented
to the Council by well known local
resident Oliver Gilpin in 1929.
At the instigation of Friends of
Central Park, a committee formed in
1983, Council developed a Master
Plan, which identified the significant
qualities of the park and proposed
a number of measures to conserve,
restore and enhance those qualities.
In January 1992, the Historic
Buildings Council, having determined
that the Conservatory was of special
significance to Victoria, included it on
the Heritage Register.
The Statement of Significance
considers that the Conservatory is • Significant as one of the oldest and
largest extant public conservatories in
the State
• Representative of the growth in
interest in exotic plants, and the
public display of plants, in the early
twentieth century. This interest in
exotic plants would not have been
possible without the provision of the
adjacent boiler house, integral to the
functioning of conservatories at that
time.
• Important because of its location
in its original form, still on its initial
central axis with the fountain still
evident. The conservatory provides a
focal point within the park, as well as
providing a demarcation, visually and
geographically between the active and
passive areas of the park.
On 2 March 1997 the Conservatory
was re-opened following its
restoration.
JOHN LANDY OVAL
In 1937 John Landy moved with his
family to Central Park Road, opposite
the park. The oval became Landy’s
daily training venue throughout
the period leading to his setting
of new world records in 1954 and
his participation in the Melbourne
Olympics in 1956.
Landy won the Australian Mile
Championship three times (1953,
1954, 1956), the three-mile title in
1956, set world records for the 1500
metres and the mile, and won two
Games medals - a Silver in the 1954
Empire Games for the mile and a
Bronze for the 1500 metres in the
1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.
Landy read the Olympic Oath at the
1956 Games and retired from running
the following year. On 2 March 1997
the oval was named after John Landy.
John Landy was the Governor of
Victoria from 2001 to 2006.
Central Park
Corner Wattletree Road and
Burke Road, Malvern East.
(Melway - 59 G10)
Malvern Historical Society Inc. c 2008
www.vicnet.net.au/~malvern
Stonnington History Centre
www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/history