January 2022
38 Hectares (94 acres) of swampland on the south bank of the Yarra River was set aside in 1846 for the development of what was to become the green heart of the city. Under the directorship of Ferdinand Von Mueller and later William Guilfoyle and the passion of no doubt many others it has evolved into a place of quiet reflection away from the bustle of the city.
Note: European settlement of what was to become known as Melbourne was in 1835.
itchingforhitching 
So hard to imagine what central Melbourne would have looked like in 1846. I do know that the Fishermen’s Bend – now industrial and Docklands – was, literally, where men went to fish in the Yarra.
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It is hard to imagine now. And could you imagine the traffic snarls if Punt Road still had a punt rather than a grand bridge? We have an old book of early photos of Melbourne, I tried to find it yesterday but decided that the blog wasn’t worth me falling off a stepladder. If I find it I’ll put it up on the blog.
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A tranquil oasis in a changing city
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