A lush Melbourne park

Fitzroy Gardens, named after an early New South Wales governor, was on the edge of the city centre located on a generous section of land. If I’d hoped to see an abundance of Australian native trees, I would have been disappointed. There were a few pines, gum trees and Moreton Bay fig tees, but this was more of an English park. Chestnut and elm trees appeared to have been planted when the park first opened 150 years ago because their girth and height was vast.

A park of tiny buildings

Melbourne’s Fitzroy Gardens were not only filled with old trees carefully arranged over lush grounds, but small buildings.

A tour behind locked doors

We headed to the State Theatre on Melbourne’s St Kilda Road to take a peek at the three theatres that make up the Arts Centre. The tour included the theatre designs and the paintings chosen for each location.

A washout festival

An Indian festival was held within Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Markets. I anticipated something like bhangra, maybe an Indian fashion parade as well as an assortment of foods from different parts of India.

To market to market

Queen Victoria Markets on the north side of Melbourne city, extended a couple of blocks. When I stepped through the main entrance, the smell of meats had me steering away to the specialized sections of cheeses and even a store that sold crocodile and kangaroo meats.

Through university grounds

Melbourne University is ranked as Australia’s best. It lies north on the outskirts of the city centre with buildings a mixture of modern and old. Nearly 50 000 students attend the university many coming from over 130 different countries.

Remembering the fallen

After the British invaded Australia in 1788, thousands of Aboriginal peoples died from violent clashes over land; from starvation; from European diseases that were often deliberately thrust on to Australia’s original inhabitants.

By a different Albert Park

I hoped to wander through Albert Park, but it was out of bounds while workers assembled grandstands for a buzzing weekend ahead. It was Melbourne’s Grande Prix.

Melbourne’s Yarra River

The Melbourne Baths were originally built to encourage swimmers not to swim in the Yarra River because of its pollution. The river was still a suspicious brown when I decided to mirror its course.

Truth behind lies

Above painting: Men in mourning — Maree Clarke

Aboriginal history was glossed over when I was at school, and even today, the depth of the injustice is often omitted.