Albert Park, Victoria

Albert Park Melbourne, Victoria
Albert Park foreshore, near Beaconsfield Parade
Albert Park
Coordinates	37°50′31″S 144°57′00″E / 37.842°S 144.950°E / -37.842; 144.950Coordinates: 37°50′31″S 144°57′00″E / 37.842°S 144.950°E / -37.842; 144.950
Population	5,955 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	1,861/km2 (4,820/sq mi)
Established	1860s
Postcode(s)	3206
Area	3.2 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Location	3 km (2 mi) from Melbourne
LGA(s)	City of Port Phillip
State electorate(s)	Albert Park
Federal Division(s)	Melbourne Ports
Suburbs around Albert Park: Port Melbourne South Melbourne Melbourne Port Melbourne Albert Park Melbourne Middle Park Middle Park

Albert Park is a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Port Phillip. At the 2011 census, Albert Park had a population of 5,955.

The suburb of Albert Park extends from the St Vincent Gardens to Beaconsfield Parade and Mills Street. It was settled residentially as an extension of Emerald Hill (South Melbourne). It is characterised by wide streets, heritage buildings, terraced houses, open air cafes, parks and significant stands of mature exotic trees, including Canary Island Date Palm and London Planes.

Since 1996 Albert Park has been home to the Australian Grand Prix, a motor racing event.

History

Indigenous Australians first inhabited the area that is now Albert Park around 40,000 years ago. The area was a series of swamps and lagoons.

The main park after which the suburb was named was declared a public park and named in 1864 to honour Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert.^[2]

Albert Park was used as a garbage dump, a military camp and for recreation before the artificial lake was built.

In 1854 a land-subdivision survey was done from Park Street, South Melbourne, to the northern edge of the parkland (Albert Road). St Vincent Gardens were laid out and the surrounding streets became the best address for successful citizens. Street names commemorated Trafalgar and Crimean War personalities.^[3]

St Vincent Gardens in 1878, Rochester Terrace is in the background

Kerferd Road Pier in 1905

Heritage Victoria notes that Albert Park's St Vincent Gardens "is historically important as the premier 'square' development in Victoria based on similar models in London. It is significant as the largest development of its type in Victoria and for its unusual development as gardens rather than the more usual small park" and "was first laid out in 1854 or 55, probably by Andrew Clarke, the Surveyor-General of Victoria. The current layout is the work of Clement Hodgkinson, the noted surveyor, engineer and topographer, who adapted the design in 1857 to allow for its intersection by the St Kilda railway line. The precinct, which in its original configuration extended from Park Street in the north to Bridport Street in the south and from Howe Crescent in the east to Nelson Road and Cardigan Street in the west, was designed to emulate similar 'square' developments in London, although on a grander scale. The main streets were named after British naval heroes. The development of the special character of St Vincent Place has been characterised, since the first land sales in the 1860s, by a variety of housing stock, which has included quality row and detached houses and by the gardens which, although they have been continuously developed, remain faithful to the initial landscape concept."

St Vincent's is a garden of significant mature tree specimens. It is registered with the National Trust and is locally significant for the social focus the gardens provide to the neighbourhood. Activities in the park range from relaxing walks, siestas to organised sports competition. The Albert Park Lawn Bowls Club was established in 1873 and the Tennis Club established 1883, on the site of an earlier croquet ground.

Geography

Albert Park features part of the massive Albert Park Reserve (formerly South Park in the 19th century until it was also renamed after Prince Albert) and is located nearby. It is a significant state park managed by Parks Victoria. It is also known as the site of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit.

Commercial centres

Shops and terrace houses along commercial Bridport Street

Commercial centres include Bridport Street, with its cafes and shops^[4] and Victoria Avenue, known for its cafes, delicatessens and boutiques.

Beach areas

Albert Park has a long beach frontage, with several distinctive features, including many grand buildings (such as the Victoria Hotel, a grand hotel and former coffee palace, now café bar, built in 1887) and Victorian terrace homes; Kerferd Kiosk, an iconic Edwardian bathing pavilion and Kerferd Pier, which terminates Kerferd Road and is a jetty onto Port Phillip, used for fishing by many and sharks have occasionally been found around it.

Albert Park and Lake

The lake is popular with strollers, runners and cyclists. Dozens of small yachts sail around the lake on sunny days. Only the north eastern part of the park and lake is actually in the suburb, the rest is in the neighbouring suburbs of South Melbourne, Melbourne, Middle Park and St Kilda.

Demographics

In Albert Park 68.8% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 5.0%, Greece 4.4%, New Zealand 2.7%, United States of America 1.2% and India 0.9%.

76.8% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Greek 8.7%, Italian 1.7%, French 0.8%, German 0.6% and Polish 0.6%.

Housing

Albert Park has outstanding examples of Victorian and Edwardian housing

Albert Park is composed mainly of Victorian terrace and semi-detached housing. Many residential areas are in heritage overlays to protect their character. Boyd Street, a leafy backstreet near Middle Park, is a fine example of this.

Transport

Beaconsfield Parade is the main beachside thoroughfare, between St Kilda and Port Melbourne, which runs along the Port Phillip foreshore. Richardson Street and Canterbury Road follows a similar inland route south to St Kilda. The main road arterial is Kerferd Road, a wide boulevard lined with elm trees and a central reservation, which connects from South Melbourne's Albert Road. Pickles Street, Victoria Avenue and Mills Street are the main roads running west and east toward South Melbourne.

Several tram routes service Albert Park, including tram route 1(along Victoria Avenue); tram route 96 (light rail parallel to Canterbury Road); and tram route 112 (along Mills Street). Until 1987, Albert Park was serviced by the St Kilda railway line, with Albert Park railway station being located at Bridport Street. However, the line was closed at that time and its right of way now forms the route of the 96 tram line.

Bus services run through the suburb.

There are segregated cycle facilities along the beach and Canterbury Roads, with marked bicycle lanes elsewhere.

Sport

Nick Heidfeld and Nico Rosberg racing at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix

The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit layout

The suburb has been home to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix since 1996. The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is run on the public roads. The choice of Albert Park as a Grand Prix venue was controversial, with protests by the Save Albert Park group. In preparing the Reserve for the race existing trees were cut down and replaced during landscaping, roads were upgraded, and facilities were replaced. Both major political parties support the event.

Albert Park is the home of Australia's most successful soccer club South Melbourne FC who play out of Lakeside Stadium; aptly named due to its positioning next to Albert Park Lake. Lakeside Stadium (known then as Bob Jane Stadium) was redeveloped in 2010 to include an international standard athletics track, as well as new grandstands and administrative facilities, and is also the home of the Victorian Institute of Sport. The stadium was built on the site of the old Lake Oval, which was an historic Australian rules football venue of South Melbourne Football Club.

Albert Park is also where NBL's basketball team, the Melbourne Tigers's administration is based, although they play their games at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Royal Park.

Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is a large swimming centre, which hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games squash, swimming and diving events. MSAC has basketball and table tennis courts too.

In December 2006 polo returned to Albert Park Reserve after an absence of 100 years.

Albert Park is home to a Parkrun event, Albert Melbourne Parkrun. The event at Albert Park is held at 8am every Saturday and starts in the Coot Picnic area, opposite the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Notable residents

• Hilda and Laurel Armstrong – 'The Vegemite Girls', sisters who coined the name of the iconic Australian food spread in 1923
• Albert Aughtie (1872–1944) – South Melbourne city engineer between 1901–42; responsible for many public works projects in the area; Aughtie Drive named after him
• John Boyd (1832–1913) – butcher, estate agent, councillor, mayor in 1878-9 who laid the commemorative stone for the new Town Hall; had butcher shops in Coventry, Bank and Montague Streets; Boyd Street named after him
• Mae Busch (1891–1946) – actress, co-star in the films of famous Hollywood comedy duo Laurel and Hardy^[5]
• William Carter (unknown dates) – an old and respected resident who conducted a florist's business and hot-house in Ferrars Street opposite the South Melbourne Railway Station; Carter Street named after him
• Roy Cazaly (1893–1963) – Australian rules football legend [birthplace]^[6]
• Noel Jack Counihan (1913–1986) – artist and revolutionary, made social realist art in response to the political and social issues of his times^[7]
• John Danks (1828–1902) – businessman, manufacturer, councillor, benefactor; Danks Street named after him^[8]
• Charles Durham (1831–1899) – an old and respected resident who conducted a Newsagent business in Clarendon St; later became council rate collector; Durham Street named after him
• Charles Fausset (1821–1895) – solicitor, councillor; involved in the establishment of the Dorcas Street School, and the land purchase which grouped together the South Melbourne town hall/post office/police station; Faussett Street & Faussett Lane named after him
• John Finlay (1827–1887) – contractor, councillor; involved in the making of Mount Alexander, St Kilda, Gardiner's Creek and Brighton Roads; first president of the South Melbourne Cricket Club; Finlay Street & Little Finlay Street named after him
• Thomas Glover (1828–1906) – an old and respected resident who conducted a paper-hanging business in Clarendon St; Glover Street & Little Glover Street named after him
• George Gray (1842–1924) – builder, architect; born in England; built numerous cottage dwellings in South Melbourne/Albert Park; built the South Melbourne Cricket Club grandstand, and the Carmelite Church; Gray Lane named after him
• James Greig (1837–1893) – councillor, public servant; superintendent of the Melbourne Immigrants' Home; purchased the house at 56-58 St Vincent Place from John Danks; Greig Street named after him
• William Scott Herbert (1920–1975) – tenor singer and music teacher, widely known for his oratorio works^[9]
• Patricia Irene "Pat" Jarrett (1911–1990) – journalist, radio and TV personality, highly respected women's editor of The Sun News-Pictorial for 25 years^[10]
• Private Edward "Eddie" Leonski [US Army] (1917–1942) – infamous serial killer; during World War Two was stationed in Melbourne and murdered three women. Was hanged for the crimes on 9 November 1942. His first victim, Ivy McLeod, was found beaten and strangled in a doorway in Albert Park, killed by Leonski after he drank whisky all morning and afternoon at the Bleak House Hotel (aka Beach House Hotel)
• Walter Lindrum (1898–1960) – world-famous billiards player, regarded as the greatest ever to play the game^[11]
• Daniel Anthony "Dan" Madden (1841–1924) – councillor; mayor of South Melbourne; President of the South Melbourne Cricket Club; vice president of the VCA & Australian Cricket Council; Madden Street named after him
• Likely Herman "Like" McBrien (1892–1956) – leading Australian Rules football administrator and politician^[12]
• Ernest McIntyre (1921–2003) – Australian rules footballer [birthplace]
• Allan McLean (1840–1911) – pastoralist, station agent, politician; Premier of Victoria in 1899; elected to the first Commonwealth Parliament in 1901^[13]
• Robert Mills (1826–1911) – hotelier, estate agent, councillor, mayor; born in Ireland; Mills Street named after him
• Albert Monk (1900–1975) – union and labour leader; during World War Two was concurrent president of the ACTU & Trades Hall Council & ALP Victorian branch; seminally influenced the growth of the ACTU as Australia's peak trade union organization. His house was in Kerferd Road^[14]
• King O'Malley (1858?–1953) – politician, influential in the establishment of the Commonwealth Bank and the selection of Canberra as the national capital^[15]
• James Page (1835–1912) – auctioneer and estate agent; was one of the first residents of Emerald Hill; Page Street named after him
• John Philipson (1830–1912) – architect, builder, councillor; born in England; founded various hotels in City Road; Philipson Street named after him
• Alfred Withers (unknown dates) – one of the earlist residents of Emerald Hill; proprietor of The Great Iron Star store at 95 Cecil St, where the inaugural meeting for the incorporation of Emerald Hill was held; Withers Street named after him
• Robert Wright (1838–1912) – builder, councillor, mayor; his home in St Vincent Place was named 'Rosebank'; Wright Street Middle Park is named after him

See also

• City of South Melbourne – the former local government area of which Albert Park was a part

References

• Barnard, Jill and Keating, Jenny, "People's Playground: A History of the Albert Park", Chandos Publishing, 1996.
• Melway, 29th Edition, Ausway Publishing, 2001.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Albert Park and Lake.

• Albert Park Yacht Club
• Albert Park (The Park)
• St Vincent Gardens
• Albert Park Primary School
• Albert Park Bowls Club