Everything about Kings Park Western Australia totally explained
Kings Park is a park located on the western edge of
Perth,
Western Australia central business district. The park is a mixture of grassed parkland, botanical gardens and natural bushland on
Mount Eliza.
Besides tourist facilities Kings Park contains the State War Memorial, the Royal Kings Park Tennis club and a reservoir. The streets are tree lined with individual plaques dedicated by family members to Western Australian Service men and women who died in
World War I and
World War II.
History
Officially opened on
10 August 1895, the park was originally called
Perth Park and was renamed in 1901 to
King's Park - the apostrophe was later dropped. This was to mark the ascension to the British throne of
King Edward VII and the visit to Perth of
George, the Duke of Cornwall and
Princess Mary. One of the major roads through the park,
May Drive is named in the Princess's honour.
It occupies 4.06
km² of the crest of
Mount Eliza which overlooks the City and
Perth Water on the
Swan River. Two-thirds of the park is native bushland. The park is larger than New York's
Central Park which is 3.41 km². It was also the first park to be designated for public use in Australia (in 1872). During September-October of each year Kings Park hosts Australia's largest wildflower show and exhibition.
Prior to European settlement and exploration Mount Eliza was known as
Mooro Katta by the
Nyoongar inhabitants. At the base of the southern face is a freshwater spring, known as
Kennedy spring (
Goonininup), this is a fresh water spring providing year round water for the Yellagonga clan. The spring was noted by the first european visitors to the area,
Willem de Vlamingh's party, on 11 January 1697. The Lieutenant Governor of the
Swan River Colony,
James Stirling, chose the townsite of
Perth for this reason - the only local spring. He named the area Mount Eliza for Mrs.
Ralph Darling.
Fraser Avenue
From the northern entrance the Lemon Scented Gum trees lining the road are to honour the dignitories and members of the Centenary Committee who on
29 September 1929 planted the trees.
An excellent view of Fraser Avenue in 1899 from the Perth Observatory shows the original state of the entrance and drive in the Weekend News Flashback Series 3542b 124 held in the Battye Library Photographic collection.
Bali Memorial
This memorial is dedicated to the 16 Western Australian victims, the injured and those who helped the survivors of the terrorist bombings on
12 October 2002 in the resort town of
Kuta on the
Indonesian island of
Bali, where 202 people were killed and 209 injured. The majority of the dead were foreign tourists, including 88
Australians.
Edith Cowan Clock
The Edith Dircksey Cowan Memorial, formerly known as the Edith Cowan Memorial Clock, is the clock tower at the main entrance Kings Park. It was built in 1934 as a memorial to Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian parliament. It is also believed to be the first civic monument erected in Australia to honour an Australian woman.
Botanic Garden
The
botanic garden is an 18
hectare site within the park. Currently known as the
Western Australian Botanic Garden it has a collection of 2000 species of Western Australian flora on display. The garden was designed by John Oldham, who held the position of Government Landscape Architect at the time. It was established to showcase the flora of Western Australia to those visiting Perth for the
1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, although the official opening didn't take place until 1965.
Royal King's Park Tennis Club
The
Royal King's Park Tennis Club, founded in 1898, is located within King's Park. The club has seen numerous
Davis Cup ties played there, bringing some of the world's greatest
tennis players to Perth. Currently, the Club features 28 grass courts and 3 hard courts. The club features the main pavilion built in 1926, and the McGibbon Stand built in 1936.
Facilities
Guided walks
Twice daily the Kings Park Volunteer Guides provide guided walking tours of the monuments and memorials, bushland paths and the Botanic Garden. The guides cover all aspects of the park including the local
Noongar names and traditions. Walks are varied according to the Noongar season Djilba-Kambarang (July-October) for the wildflower season; the Mukuru for May and June, and the Birak-Djeran for November - April.
Photo gallery
Image:KingsParkWesternAustralia1 gobeirne.jpg|Lemon-scented gums along Fraser Avenue
Image:Kings Park War Memorial.jpg|Kings Park War Memorial and Eternal Flame
Image:Kings Park War Memorial Sunrise.jpg|Kings Park War Memorial and Eternal Flame, at sunrise
Image:Kings_Park.jpg|A view of Kings Park from South Perth, overlooking the Narrows Bridge
Image:KingsPark_Perth_WA.jpg|Botanic Garden plaque
Image:BaliMemorial.JPG|Bali Memorial at night
Image:KPTree.JPG|The tree lined avenues of Kings Park are illuminated at night
Image:Skyline.JPG|Perth city skyline from Kings Park
Image:DNATower1.JPG|View from the top of the DNA Tower towards Subiaco
Image:DNATower2.JPG|View of the city from the DNA Tower
Image:DNATower3.JPG|View of South Perth from the DNA Tower
Further Information
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