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. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Fitzroy North is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Brunswick Street also refers to the Brunswick Street railway station and nearby road in Brisbane. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... Clement Hodgkinson, 1818 - 1893, was born in England, and became a notable Australian naturalist, explorer and surveyor. ...

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 1980s. 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. The old line has been replaced with a shared path that leads to the nearby Capital City Trail. ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ...

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. Thr last game played there was in August 1966 when Fitzroy played St Kilda. Fitzroy lost that match by 84 points. Even though the ground is silent and hardly used, it is considered the spiritual home ground of Fitzroy. 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. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... High marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Australian rules football Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Australian rules football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of... Fitzroy Football Club, most recently nicknamed The Lions, was an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) on its inception in 1897. ... For other uses, see VFL (disambiguation). ... The Australian Football League (AFL), formerly known as the Victorian Football League, and sometimes known as the VFL/AFL, is the elite Australian national competition in the sport of Australian rules football. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... The British television sport programme Grandstand is one of the BBCs longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year. ... The Victorian Heritage Register is maintained by Heritage Victoria, part of the Department of Sustainability and Environment a department of the Government of Victoria, Australia. ...

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 hippie and psychedelic trance scenes. 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.

External link

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: -37.789039° 144.980906°
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