Queens Gardens, Perth facts for kids
Queens Gardens, Perth, is a beautiful 3.3-hectare park. It's located in the eastern part of Perth's main city area. The park is surrounded by streets like Hay Street and Plain Street. It is also separated from the WACA Ground by Hale Street.
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The Story of Queens Gardens
From Clay Pit to Beautiful Park
The land where Queens Gardens now sits was once a common area. People used it for fun activities like horse racing. Later, it became a place where clay was dug up. This clay was used to make bricks. From 1860 to 1890, many bricks were made here. These bricks were used to build important buildings in Perth. Some of these buildings include the Perth Town Hall and The Cloisters.
During this time, the area was known as the East Perth Clayfields Reserve. People started to protest against digging for clay. They wanted the land to be used differently. Because of these protests, the City of Perth began to fill the clay pits. They turned some of them into ponds. The land was then given to the city. The plan was to create a wonderful botanic garden there.
How the Gardens Grew
The park first opened to the public on October 9, 1898. It was officially named Queens Gardens in October 1899. This naming was done by Alexander Forrest, who was the Mayor of Perth.
Before the first World War, the mayor of Perth often held garden parties here. More recently, the gardens have become a popular spot. Many people choose it for outdoor weddings and wedding photos.
The park officially became part of the Perth City Council on January 21, 1902. In 1906, a small house for the park's caretaker was built. It was placed in the north-east corner of the garden. New entrance gates were put up in 1914. Eight new bridges were also built to replace older ones. In 1924, electric lights were added. This meant people could enjoy the gardens even in the evenings. In 1927, new main gates were installed. These new gates were at the corner of Hay and Plain streets.
The Peter Pan Statue
In June 1929, the Rotary Club of Perth gave a special gift. They presented the Perth City Council with a Peter Pan statue. This statue is a copy of the famous one in Kensington Gardens in London. It was a gift to the children of Western Australia. It marked the state's 100th birthday.
The artist who made the original statue, Sir George Frampton, also made this copy. The creator of Peter Pan, Sir J. M. Barrie, even signed it.
The Notting Hill Bench Mystery
The park also has a special bench. It looks just like a bench from the 1999 movie Notting Hill. A local resident, known only as Rodd, gave it to the City of Perth. It has a touching message carved into it:
For June who loved this garden
From Joseph who always sat beside her
For a long time, people thought this was the actual bench from the movie. There was even a plaque saying so. However, in 2019, it was discovered that it was not the original. The plaque has since been removed.
