Council plan to revitalise Alexandra Gardens

An iconic stretch of the Yarra riverfront could be about to receive a multi-million-dollar refresh thanks to a new concept plan by the City of Melbourne.

Alexandra Gardens is one of the city’s most visited riverside precincts, but a council report has found its current fixtures are “reaching end of life” and not to standard.

The garden runs from the Princes Bridge to Swan Hill Bridge opposite Birrarung Marr and houses Melbourne’s historic Yarra Boathouses and Riverslide Skate Park.

Following community consultation which took place earlier this year, councillors are expected to endorse the final Alexandra Gardens Concept Plan at their July 23 Future Melbourne Committee (FMC) meeting.

“The magnificent Alexandra Gardens are more than just a beautiful riverside green open space,” Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said.

“They’re the meeting ground for rowers and skaters, an important thoroughfare for commuters, host to many of Melbourne’s major events.”

We’ve listened to feedback from the community and have finalised our plans to spruce up this popular destination garden.

The $3.8 million renovation concept includes plans for new and upgraded public pathways, better lighting and power, and improved traffic management and parking for the boathouse precinct.

Peppercorn Lawn alongside the Princes Bridge would also become the home of a permanent marker of the Indigenous Stolen Generation.

Cr Reece said the planned marker represented “an important step towards truth-telling, healing and [Melbourne’s] reconciliation journey”.

Garden beds would also be refreshed while more trees would be planted to improve canopy shade and the precincts heritage presentation.

Community consultation for the upgrade began in February this year, with the majority of respondents listing the gardens as a prime destination for walking, cycling and rowing.

The plan also includes scope for a future refresh of the Riverslide Skate Park.

Once approved by councillors, the upgrade will enter the design phase across the 2024-25 financial year.

Construction would begin in 2025-26.

The gardens sit on what was historically a floodplain of the Yarra River and the intermittent location of billabongs.

They were first laid out by Melbourne’s Chief Engineer of Public Works Carlo Catani in 1901 for a visit by the Duke of York, the future King George V, and named in honour of the Queen consort Alexandra of Denmark.