Carlton Gardens, Melbourne Facts for Kids

Carlton Gardens is also the name of a small street in London, England.

Quick facts for kids
Carlton Gardens, Melbourne
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Aerial view of The Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens and the Melbourne City Centre
Location	Central Business District, Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Part of	Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
Criteria	Cultural: (ii)
Inscription	2004 (28th Session)
Extensions	2010

The Carlton Gardens is a special park and garden area in Carlton. This suburb is very close to the center of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is recognized as a World Heritage Site.

This large area is about 26 ha (64 acres) (64 acres) in size. It includes the famous Royal Exhibition Building, the Melbourne Museum, and an Imax Cinema. You can also find tennis courts and a children's playground there. The playground has won awards for its design. The whole site is shaped like a rectangle. The gardens gently slope downwards from the Exhibition Building.

The World Heritage listing calls the Royal Exhibition Buildings and Carlton Gardens very important. They are valued for their history, amazing buildings, beauty, social meaning, and interesting plants.

The gardens are a great example of a public park from the Victorian era. They have large grassy areas. You'll see a mix of trees from Europe and Australia. Some trees lose their leaves in autumn, like English oaks and Elms. Others stay green all year, such as Moreton Bay Figs and Cedars. There are also colorful flower beds and shrubs.

Paths lined with trees create formal avenues. These paths lead to beautiful fountains and the grand Exhibition buildings. In the southern part of the park, there are two small lakes. The northern part has the Museum, tennis courts, and the children's playground. The playground is designed like a fun Victorian maze.

The gardens are also important for their amazing plant collection. They have many different types of trees. Some of these trees have grown very large and have unique shapes. For example, the elm tree avenues are special. There are not many like them left in the world because of a disease. The gardens also have rare plants, like a type of Acmena and a very large Taxodium distichum.

You can see different animals living in the gardens. These include possums and ducks. In spring, you might spot ducklings. Other animals include Tawny Frogmouths, Kookaburras, and flying foxes. Many other city birds and bats also live here.

The gardens have three important fountains. The Exhibition Fountain was made for the 1880 Exhibition. The French Fountain and the Westgarth Drinking Fountain are also notable.

History of Carlton Gardens
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History of Carlton Gardens

Early Days and Planning

1839: Large areas of land around Melbourne were set aside by Superintendent Charles La Trobe. Most of this land was later sold. But many sites were kept as public parks. These included Carlton Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens, Treasury Gardens, and Kings Domain.
Around 1856: The City of Melbourne took over the Carlton Gardens. They hired Edward La Trobe Bateman to create plans for the park. The paths and other parts of his design were then built.

Changes and Exhibitions

1870s: The Victorian Government took control of the Gardens. Small changes were made by Clement Hodgkinson. The site was completely redesigned for the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition. Architect Joseph Reed led this work. A local gardener, William Sangster, planned and built the new gardens.
1880: The Exhibition Building was finished for the Melbourne International Exhibition. Extra spaces built for the exhibition were removed after it closed in 1881.
1888: The Melbourne Centennial Exhibition was held here. It celebrated 100 years since people from Europe first settled in Australia.
1891: The house for the garden's manager, John Guilfoyle, was completed.

Later Uses and World Heritage Status

1901: The very first Parliament of Australia met in the Exhibition Building. The west side of the building became the home of the Parliament of Victoria for the next 27 years.
1919: The buildings were used as a hospital during a major health crisis.
1928: The fence around the gardens was removed. Only the stone bases were left.
During the Second World War: The buildings were used by the Royal Australian Air Force.
1948 to 1961: Parts of the buildings were used as a center for new arrivals to Australia.
2001: A new children's playground was designed and built. It won an award for its design.
July 2004: The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens were added to the World Heritage List. This happened at a meeting in Suzhou, China.

The Exhibition Building is still used today. It hosts many events, like the yearly Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. The University of Melbourne also uses it for exams. Melbourne's main exhibition space is now the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. It opened in 1996 in Southbank.