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The White Hat Guide to Parliament GardensThere are really two parts to the gardens at Parliament House in Melbourne:
Parliament Gardens
This small triangular park is a pleasant respite at the Spring Street end of Town, with views of Parliament House, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St Peter's Eastern Hill, the Old Synagogue, the Old Baptist Church and the Eastern Hill Fire Station. The Coles Fountain in these gardens is unusual because you can walk inside the curtains of cascading water - a pleasant experience on a hot Melbourne day. Parliament House Gardens
The gardens in Parliament House have restricted access. (The nature of this access in contentious - ask your guide about it when you book on a White Hat Tour.) You may get to see them on the occasional open day (subscribe to our newsletter if you wish to be notified of these). Alternatively, get yourself invited to a garden party - all you have to do is many years of community service or become a top achiever in your field. The garden, designed by William Guilfoyle, is in the European style which befits its surrounding buildings. The garden was originally larger, but in 1934 the area now known as the Parliament Gardens (see above) was donated to the Melbourne City Council as a public reserve. The garden also contains a tennis court and bowling green for the use of members. Within the garden you can find The Federal Oak - planted in 1890 by Sir Henry Parkes - as well as a plaque commemorating the work of Vida Goldstein. There is also an 'oriental-style' pavilion that may be familiar to some from photographs of the 1890 Australian Federation Conference. The pavilion also serves a darker purpose - ask your guide on a White Hat Tour about the hidden function of the pavilion.
Where are the Parliament Gardens?Click on the Parliament Gardens link to the right of the map. Use the controls to zoom in or out on the map or change to satellite view.
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