Birrarung Marr is an inner-city park between the central business district in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and the Yarra River. It was opened in 2002. The name refers to the bank of Birrarung, the 'river of mists', in the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people, the Indigenous inhabitants at the time of European colonisation of the Melbourne area.
Location
The 8 hectare (20 acre) park lies immediately to the south-east of the central business district, between Flinders Street and the north bank of the Yarra River, east of Flinders Street station, and west of Exhibition Street, Batman Avenue and the Rod Laver Arena.
History
In 1856 the colonial government indicated that the marshy site of Birrarung Marr was intended for park or ornamental purposes. However, several institutions including a morgue had already been established there, more still were developed, and facilities including the old State Swimming Centre remained until the late 20th century. The first rail line crossed the area in 1859 and railways eventually occupied most of the parkland between Melbourne's central business district (CBD) and the Yarra River. At the 19th century's end, these impacts were outstripped by reconstruction of the Yarra River itself, which was straightened, widened and deepened, with tree-lined avenues formed along the built-up banks.
In 1992 the new Victorian Government under Premier Jeff Kennett initiated a development program focused on central Melbourne. For the centrepiece of this program, the State and City of Melbourne jointly sponsored an architectural design competition for Federation Square. The creation of Birrarung Marr resulted from the reorganisation of infrastructure and land uses near Federation Square, including clearance of the Jolimont railyards, and diversion of Batman Avenue away from the river bank to connect to Exhibition Street. These works enabled reclamation of land from the former rail yards and roadway to create Melbourne's first significant new inner city park in one hundred years.
Construction of Birrarung Marr began in 2000. The project was a joint venture by the City of Melbourne, which provided A$15.6 million to design and build the park, and the State Government of Victoria, which funded the railway rationalisation and clearance of the site. The park was formally opened to the public on Australia Day, 26 January 2002.
The park design
The initial schemes for Birrarung Marr proposed a 'festival park', a largely commercial venue supporting the State's use of sporting and cultural events such as the Australian Grand Prix to position Melbourne in the international marketplace. However, the City emphasised a broader role as social venue supporting individual and community activities as well as major events. From either viewpoint, Birrarung Marr was envisaged as an active, urban space, more like beachside promenades than the older public gardens in other parts of Melbourne, such as the Fitzroy Gardens. The intent was to provide a robust setting for events such as Circus Oz and the Moomba Waterfest, changing sculpture exhibitions, and community festivals while providing an attractive setting for passive recreation at other times. The park also provides walking and cycle access between the city centre and the sporting precinct to the south-east, and forms a link in the Capital City Trail, which provides continuous bike access along the Yarra River.
Birrarung Marr was therefore designed as a series of level open terraces. The lower terrace, next to the river, has a gravel surface. The middle terrace is on the east side of the park, adjacent to Batman Avenue, and has a grassed surface. The upper grassed terrace on the north side of the park is at the same level as Flinders Street, about 10 metres above the river bank. (The upper terrace was intended to link to the top deck of the Federation Square carpark, which was ultimately not built to the agreed brief although its extension is now being considered.) The massive terraces were formed on the level railyard site using spoil generated by works on the adjoining rail lines, Federation Square, and construction of the nearby Melbourne Arena. Basalt boulders from these excavations were also re-used in the park to form retaining walls.