H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens facts for kids
The H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens are a special public park in Sunshine, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. They were first called the Sunshine Gardens. These gardens started way back in 1909. They are Australia's oldest surviving "industrial garden." This means they were built for workers of a big factory nearby.
A man named H.V. McKay created them. He wanted to give his factory workers a nice place to relax. Later, the local council, Brimbank City Council, took over the gardens and renamed them after H.V. McKay. The gardens also show a cool idea from the past called the "Garden Suburb" movement. This idea was about making towns greener and nicer places to live. In 2007, a group called "Friends of McKay Gardens" was formed. They worked hard to save the gardens from getting run down. In 2012, local people also campaigned to keep the park looking its best.
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History of the Gardens
In 1909, the Sunshine Gardens were built. They were made to be a nice place for the people who worked at the Sunshine Harvester Works factory. F. A. Horsfall, an assistant city engineer, designed the gardens. S. G. Thompson, the head gardener, helped lay them out.
The gardens were about eight acres big. They were right next to the factory. They had places for fun and beautiful flower displays.
What the Gardens Included
The gardens had many cool features. They included tennis courts and a small building for players. There was also a bandstand where music could be played. A bowling green was there for games. The head gardener even had a large house inside the gardens. There was also a conservatory, which is like a greenhouse, for growing plants.
The gardens became famous for their amazing chrysanthemum and dahlia flowers. Workers and their families loved visiting. Other people from the local area also came to enjoy the beauty.
Becoming a Public Park
In 1953, the local government, the newly formed City of Sunshine, took over the gardens. At this time, the name was changed to the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens. This was to honor the person who started them.
In the 1990s, the gardens were recognized as very important. They were listed by the National Trust of Australia. They were also added to the Register of the National Estate. This means they are protected because of their history and beauty. In 2007, the "Friends of McKay Gardens" group was created. They help to keep the gardens well-maintained and beautiful.
Saving the Gardens from Change
There was a plan for a new train line called the Regional Rail Link. This plan suggested building part of the line through the gardens. This would have meant destroying some of the land. It would have also removed paths and old parts of the garden.
Many people in the community were very upset about this. They protested and worked hard to stop it. The local council, Brimbank City Council, also strongly argued against the plan. Because of this strong community effort, the train line authority changed its plans. They greatly reduced the amount of garden land they needed. This helped save most of the H.V. McKay Memorial Gardens.
