Birrarung Marr, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Birrarung Marr is an inner-city park between the central business district in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
and the Yarra River
. It was opened in 2002. The name means 'river of mists' and 'river bank' in the Woiwurrung
language of the Wurundjeri
people, the original Indigenous inhabitants of the Melbourne area.
and the north bank of the Yarra River
, east of Flinders Street Station
, and west of Exhibition Street
, Batman Avenue and the Rod Laver Arena
(the National Tennis Centre).
In 1992 the new Victorian Government under Premier Jeff Kennett
initiated a development program focused on central Melbourne. For the centrepiece of this program, the State and City of Melbourne jointly sponsored an architectural design competition
for Federation Square
. The creation of Birrarung Marr resulted from the reorganisation of infrastructure and land uses near Federation Square, including clearance of the Jolimont railyards
, and diversion of Batman Avenue away from the river bank to connect to Exhibition Street. These works enabled reclamation of land from the former rail yards and roadway to create Melbourne’s first significant new inner city park in one hundred years.
Construction of Birrarung Marr began in 2000. The project was a joint venture by the City of Melbourne
, which provided A$15.6 million to design and build the park, and the State Government of Victoria
, which funded the railway rationalisation and clearance of the site. The park was formally opened to the public on Australia Day
, 26 January 2002.
to position Melbourne in the international marketplace. However, the City emphasised a broader role as social venue supporting individual and community activities as well as major events. From either viewpoint, Birrarung Marr was envisaged as an active, urban space, more like beachside promenades than the older public gardens in other parts of Melbourne, such as the Fitzroy Gardens
. The intent was to provide a robust setting for events such as Circus Oz
and the Moomba
Waterfest, changing sculpture exhibitions, and community festivals while providing an attractive setting for passive recreation at other times. The park also provides walking and cycle access between the city centre and the sporting precinct to the south-east, and forms a link in the Capital City Trail
, which provides continuous bike access along the Yarra River.
Birrarung Marr was therefore designed as a series of level open terraces
. The lower terrace, next to the river, has a gravel surface. The middle terrace is on the east side of the park, adjacent to Batman Avenue, and has a grassed surface. The upper grassed terrace on the north side of the park is at the same level as Flinders Street, about 10 metres above the river bank. (The upper terrace was intended to link to the top deck of the Federation Square carpark, which was ultimately not built to the agreed brief although its extension is now being considered.) The massive terraces were formed on the level railyard site using spoil generated by works on the adjoining rail lines, Federation Square, and construction of the nearby Vodafone Arena
. Basalt boulders from these excavations were also re-used in the park to form retaining walls.
The layout of the park emphasises lines of sight to various Melbourne landmarks such as the spires of the Victorian Arts Centre and St Paul's Cathedral
and the Rialto office tower. The shaping of the terraces and the drainage channels between them lined with River Red Gum
s evoke the billabong
s once found on the site, and the linear paths and bridge structures also suggest the railways that dominated the site through much of Melbourne's history. The park's open spaces are largely shielded from nearby traffic, and the park is remarkably quiet and peaceful given its proximity to major roads and railways.
The concept plan for Birrarung Marr was prepared by the City of Melbourne, with in-house landscape architects Ronald Jones and Helena Piha as principal designers. Consultants engaged to undertake the detailed design and documentation include Taylor Cullity Lethlean (landscape architects), Paul Thompson (planting design) and Swaney Draper (architects for the footbridge within the park and the Federation Bells). The design has received various awards including the Royal Australian Institute of Architects
' Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design in 2004, the Planning Institute of Australia's Australia Award for Urban Design in 2003, and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
(Victoria) Awards for Excellence in Planning and Excellence in Design in 2003.
A long ramping footbridge within the park, designed by architects Swaney Draper, links the three terrace levels and provides disabled access.
Speaker's Corner, in the south-eastern corner of Birrarung Marr, was a remnant of Yarra Park between the Jolimont Rail Yards and Yarra River that was used as a location for public lectures, protests and demonstrations. For example, in 1916, an estimated 50,000 people came to protest against conscription
. These activities had been moved to the north bank of the Yarra River after construction of the Queen Victoria Monument at their earlier venue on the south bank. The site was one of the few public spaces in Melbourne where large public assemblies and speeches were allowed without a prior permit. The mounds that speakers used to stand on to address these crowds can still be seen in this corner of Birrarung Marr.
There are barbecue
facilities, as well as public toilets near Speakers Corner. The Yarra River Trail traverses the park on its south side.
One of the railway buildings remaining from the Jolimont railyards was converted into a children's art centre and cultural centre, called ArtPlay. ArtPlay opened in 2004 and runs a range of workshops where children and families can undertake creative arts workshops alongside artists of all disciplines. ArtPlay is open to the public on weekends and during school holidays and works with schools during weekdays. In 2006 ArtPlay worked with over 20,000 children, offering nearly 300 different workshops, performances and events. A children's playground has been developed next to this building and a series of creative arts workshops often extend into this space from ArtPlay. Following the success of ArtPlay, The City of Melbourne has developed a similar arts program in the heart of the city for teenagers called Signal, located alongside to Flinders St Station.
The Federation Bells
on the middle terrace, commissioned in 2001, are a collection of inverted temple-style bell
s of various sizes mounted on steel poles. The result is not unlike a collection of church bells, however they are spread through an open space rather than being confined to a tower, allowing people to walk between them. There are thirty-nine bells in total, with a combined weight of 1.2 tonnes. Tuned in the just intonation
method, the bells are controlled by computer, and play seven different compositions, each lasting for five minutes. This sound sculpture
plays three times a day. The bells were designed by Neil McLachlan, and their arrangement and supporting structure was designed by Ronald Jones and architects Swaney Draper.
The ten metre high, three-legged Angel was installed along the river bank in 2006. The sculpture was commissioned from Melbourne mosaic artist Deborah Halpern
for installation in the ‘moat’ in front of the National Gallery of Victoria
in 1985, but off-loaded by the Gallery when major renovations were undertaken in 1999.
The William Barak
Bridge was officially opened in December 2005 for the Commonwealth Games
in March 2006. This provides pedestrian access between the middle terrace of Birrarung Marr over the CityLink
toll road and railways to the vicinity of the Melbourne Cricket Ground
.
s along the river bank and at Speakers Corner, about 200 new trees were planted in the park during the its construction. The new plantings focus on Australian species including a mass planting of Macrozamia
communis (cycad
s) on the embankment overlooking Speakers Corner. Also in this area are several Doryanthes excelsa
(Gymea Lilies) and Lepidozamia
peroffskyana (Pineapple Zamia, another cycad). Hundreds of smaller Australian native plants are also present although construction of the William Barak Bridge, which was not part of the original design for the park, destroyed one of the major display plantings on the north-facing embankment of the middle terrace.
Additional tree planting for shade and shelter was envisaged for the level areas of the upper and middle terraces, but has not yet been implemented.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
. It was opened in 2002. The name means 'river of mists' and 'river bank' in the Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung
Woiwurrung is an Indigenous Australian language spoken by some of the Kulin Nation clans, the Wurundjeri people, of Central Victoria, from Mount Baw Baw in the east to Mount Macedon, Sunbury and Gisborne in the west.The Woiwurrung clans inhabited the Yarra River, called Birrarung in Woiwurrung,...
language of the Wurundjeri
Wurundjeri
The Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
people, the original Indigenous inhabitants of the Melbourne area.
Location
The 8 hectare (20 acre) park lies immediately to the south-east of the central business district, between Flinders StreetFlinders Street, Melbourne
Flinders Street is a notable street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Running roughly parallel to the Yarra River, Flinders Street forms the southern edge of the Hoddle Grid. It is exactly one mile in length and one and half chains in width...
and the north bank of the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
, east of Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
, and west of Exhibition Street
Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Exhibition Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The street is named after the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building, which is located in the Carlton Gardens.- Geography :...
, Batman Avenue and the Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a tennis stadium that is part of the Melbourne Park complex located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and has been the main venue for the Australian Open in tennis since 1988, replacing the ageing Kooyong Stadium...
(the National Tennis Centre).
History
In 1856 the colonial government indicated that the marshy site of Birrarung Marr was intended for park or ornamental purposes. However, several institutions including a morgue had already been established there, more still were developed, and facilities including the old State Swimming Centre remained until the late 20th century. The first rail line crossed the area in 1859 and railways eventually occupied most of the parkland between Melbourne's central business district (CBD) and the Yarra River. At the 19th century’s end, these impacts were outstripped by reconstruction of the Yarra River itself, which was straightened, widened and deepened, with tree-lined avenues formed along the built-up banks.In 1992 the new Victorian Government under Premier Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
initiated a development program focused on central Melbourne. For the centrepiece of this program, the State and City of Melbourne jointly sponsored an architectural design competition
Architectural design competition
An architectural design competition is a special type of competition in which an organization or government body that plans to build a new building asks for architects to submit a proposed design for a building. The winning design is usually chosen by an independent panel of design professionals...
for Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. The creation of Birrarung Marr resulted from the reorganisation of infrastructure and land uses near Federation Square, including clearance of the Jolimont railyards
Jolimont Yard
Jolimont Yard was an array of railway lines and carriage sidings on the edge of the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. Located between Flinders Street Station, Richmond Junction, the Yarra River and Flinders Street they were often criticised for cutting off the city from the river,...
, and diversion of Batman Avenue away from the river bank to connect to Exhibition Street. These works enabled reclamation of land from the former rail yards and roadway to create Melbourne’s first significant new inner city park in one hundred years.
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
, which provided A$15.6 million to design and build the park, and the State Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
, which funded the railway rationalisation and clearance of the site. The park was formally opened to the public on Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
, 26 January 2002.
The park design
The initial schemes for Birrarung Marr proposed a ‘festival park’, a largely commercial venue supporting the State’s use of sporting and cultural events such as the Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
to position Melbourne in the international marketplace. However, the City emphasised a broader role as social venue supporting individual and community activities as well as major events. From either viewpoint, Birrarung Marr was envisaged as an active, urban space, more like beachside promenades than the older public gardens in other parts of Melbourne, such as the Fitzroy Gardens
Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne
The Fitzroy Gardens are 26 hectares located on the southeastern edge of the Melbourne Central Business District in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
. The intent was to provide a robust setting for events such as Circus Oz
Circus Oz
Circus Oz was founded in December 1977, with its first performance season in March 1978. Circus Oz was the amalgamation of two already well-known groups - Soapbox Circus, a roadshow set up by the Australian Performing Group in 1976, and the New Ensemble Circus, a continuation of the New Circus,...
and the Moomba
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
Waterfest, changing sculpture exhibitions, and community festivals while providing an attractive setting for passive recreation at other times. The park also provides walking and cycle access between the city centre and the sporting precinct to the south-east, and forms a link in the Capital City Trail
Capital City Trail
The Capital City Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which circles the Melbourne city centre and some inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, which provides continuous bike access along the Yarra River.
Terrace (gardening)
In gardening, a terrace is an element where a raised flat paved or gravelled section overlooks a prospect. A raised terrace keeps a house dry and provides a transition between the hard materials of the architecture and softer ones of the garden.-History:...
. The lower terrace, next to the river, has a gravel surface. The middle terrace is on the east side of the park, adjacent to Batman Avenue, and has a grassed surface. The upper grassed terrace on the north side of the park is at the same level as Flinders Street, about 10 metres above the river bank. (The upper terrace was intended to link to the top deck of the Federation Square carpark, which was ultimately not built to the agreed brief although its extension is now being considered.) The massive terraces were formed on the level railyard site using spoil generated by works on the adjoining rail lines, Federation Square, and construction of the nearby Vodafone Arena
Vodafone Arena
Hisense Arena is a sports venue that is part of the Melbourne Park complex, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The current arena's name was purchased in July of 2008.-History:...
. Basalt boulders from these excavations were also re-used in the park to form retaining walls.
The layout of the park emphasises lines of sight to various Melbourne landmarks such as the spires of the Victorian Arts Centre and St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne
St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, is the metropolitical and cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. It is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne and Metropolitan of the Province of Victoria...
and the Rialto office tower. The shaping of the terraces and the drainage channels between them lined with River Red Gum
River Red Gum
The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...
s evoke the billabong
Billabong
Billabong is an Australian English word meaning a small lake, specifically an oxbow lake, a section of still water adjacent to a river, cut off by a change in the watercourse. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end...
s once found on the site, and the linear paths and bridge structures also suggest the railways that dominated the site through much of Melbourne's history. The park's open spaces are largely shielded from nearby traffic, and the park is remarkably quiet and peaceful given its proximity to major roads and railways.
Royal Australian Institute of Architects
The Australian Institute of Architects is a professional body for architects in Australia. Until August 2008, the Institute traded as the "Royal Australian Institute of Architects", which remains its official name....
' Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design in 2004, the Planning Institute of Australia's Australia Award for Urban Design in 2003, and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
Australian Institute of Landscape Architects
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects is the Australian non-profit professional institute formed to serve the mutual interests of its members and the wider profession of landscape architecture throughout Australia.-AILA Vision Statement:...
(Victoria) Awards for Excellence in Planning and Excellence in Design in 2003.
Features and facilities
Speaker's Corner, in the south-eastern corner of Birrarung Marr, was a remnant of Yarra Park between the Jolimont Rail Yards and Yarra River that was used as a location for public lectures, protests and demonstrations. For example, in 1916, an estimated 50,000 people came to protest against conscription
Conscription in Australia
Conscription in Australia, or mandatory military service also known as National Service, has a controversial history dating back to the first years of nationhood...
. These activities had been moved to the north bank of the Yarra River after construction of the Queen Victoria Monument at their earlier venue on the south bank. The site was one of the few public spaces in Melbourne where large public assemblies and speeches were allowed without a prior permit. The mounds that speakers used to stand on to address these crowds can still be seen in this corner of Birrarung Marr.
There are barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
facilities, as well as public toilets near Speakers Corner. The Yarra River Trail traverses the park on its south side.
One of the railway buildings remaining from the Jolimont railyards was converted into a children's art centre and cultural centre, called ArtPlay. ArtPlay opened in 2004 and runs a range of workshops where children and families can undertake creative arts workshops alongside artists of all disciplines. ArtPlay is open to the public on weekends and during school holidays and works with schools during weekdays. In 2006 ArtPlay worked with over 20,000 children, offering nearly 300 different workshops, performances and events. A children's playground has been developed next to this building and a series of creative arts workshops often extend into this space from ArtPlay. Following the success of ArtPlay, The City of Melbourne has developed a similar arts program in the heart of the city for teenagers called Signal, located alongside to Flinders St Station.
Federation Bells
Federation Bells is an installation comprising 39 upturned bells. Located in Birrarung Marr, Melbourne, they were created for celebrations of the centenary of Australia's federation in 2001. They were designed by Anton Hasell and Neil McLachlan in collaboration with Swaney Draper Architects...
on the middle terrace, commissioned in 2001, are a collection of inverted temple-style bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s of various sizes mounted on steel poles. The result is not unlike a collection of church bells, however they are spread through an open space rather than being confined to a tower, allowing people to walk between them. There are thirty-nine bells in total, with a combined weight of 1.2 tonnes. Tuned in the just intonation
Just intonation
In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval. The two notes in any just interval are members of the same harmonic series...
method, the bells are controlled by computer, and play seven different compositions, each lasting for five minutes. This sound sculpture
Sound sculpture
Sound sculpture is an intermedia and time based art form in which sculpture or any kind of art object produces sound, or the reverse...
plays three times a day. The bells were designed by Neil McLachlan, and their arrangement and supporting structure was designed by Ronald Jones and architects Swaney Draper.
The ten metre high, three-legged Angel was installed along the river bank in 2006. The sculpture was commissioned from Melbourne mosaic artist Deborah Halpern
Deborah Halpern
Deborah Halpern is an artist working in Victoria Australia, notable for her prominent and popular works of public art. Halpern is a sculptor, mosaic artist and ceramic artist...
for installation in the ‘moat’ in front of the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
in 1985, but off-loaded by the Gallery when major renovations were undertaken in 1999.
William Barak
William Barak , was the last traditional ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan, based around the area of present-day Melbourne, Australia...
Bridge was officially opened in December 2005 for the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in March 2006. This provides pedestrian access between the middle terrace of Birrarung Marr over the CityLink
CityLink
CityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
toll road and railways to the vicinity of the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
.
Horticulture
In addition to the mature elmElm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
s along the river bank and at Speakers Corner, about 200 new trees were planted in the park during the its construction. The new plantings focus on Australian species including a mass planting of Macrozamia
Macrozamia
Macrozamia is a genus of 38-40 species of cycads, in the family Zamiaceae, endemic to Australia. The majority of the species occur in eastern Australia in southeast Queensland and New South Wales, with one species in the Macdonnell Ranges of Northern Territory and three in southern Western...
communis (cycad
Cycad
Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...
s) on the embankment overlooking Speakers Corner. Also in this area are several Doryanthes excelsa
Gymea Lily
The Gymea Lily is a flowering plant indigenous to the coastal areas of New South Wales near Sydney.The plant has sword-like leaves more than a meter long...
(Gymea Lilies) and Lepidozamia
Lepidozamia
Lepidozamia is a genus of two species of cycad, native to Australia. The name, derived from the Greek word lepidos, meaning scaly, refers to the scale-like structure of the stem and leaf bases. They are native to rainforest climates in eastern Queensland and eastern New South Wales...
peroffskyana (Pineapple Zamia, another cycad). Hundreds of smaller Australian native plants are also present although construction of the William Barak Bridge, which was not part of the original design for the park, destroyed one of the major display plantings on the north-facing embankment of the middle terrace.
Note
The name comes from 2 different aboriginal languages, one from the Melbourne area and one from the Adelaide area, and together mean "beside the river". The name was applied to the park after the design was adopted.External links
- City of Melbourne general information on Birrarung Marr
- City of Melbourne Map of Birrarung Marr (pdf, 193 kilobyteKilobyteThe kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
s) - Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (Victoria) jury comments and photo gallery – planning award
- Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (Victoria) jury comments and photo gallery – design award
- Federation Bells Compose music for the Federation Bells and find information on the bells and playing times
- Australian Bell Pty Ltd more information on Federation Bells