The Williamstown Botanic Gardens officially opened to the public on January 2, 1860. The Garden was designed by Edward La Trobe Bateman (1815-1897), a cousin of the Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria, Charles La Trobe. (1)
The Williamstown Gardens to open
Williamstown Chronicle, December 31, 1859 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68569501
In 1915, a fine avenue avenue of Palms, Washington Palms (Washingtonia robusta), were planted. (2) They grew very well and three years later the Williamstown Advertiser could report that -
Councillor Creighton, Mayor of Port Melbourne, and Mr J. Cronin, Director of the Botanical Gardens,
visited the Williamstown Gardens on Wednesday afternoon and complimented Mr W. Crowe, the Curator, on the uniformity and size of his avenue of palms. The men were inspecting the garden as they were looking for a suitable tree to create an Avenue of Honour on the Back Beach at Williamstown and Port Melbourne proposed to plant trees on the foreshore. (3)
The statue, we can see at the end of the Avenue (above) is of Alfred Thomas Clark (1844-1888), local member from 1871 to 1887. The statue was unveiled July 18, 1891. The Williamstown Chronicle reported -
On Saturday afternoon fully 300 persons assembled in the local Botanical Gardens to witness the unveiling ceremony of the monument 'erected by public' subscription to perpetuate the memory of Hon. A. T. Clark, who for sixteen years ably discharged the office of Parliamentary representative for Williamstown, and in the earlier days Footscray also. The monument is of Cararra marble, sculptured by Enrico Lucchinelli from a photograph, and is a wonderfully faithful likeness. It stands 22 feet 6 inches in height, the figure being life size upon a pedestal handsomely carved. (5)
Main References
Footnotes
(1) Edward La Trobe Bateman, Australian Dictionary of Biography entry https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bateman-edward-la-trobe-2951
visited the Williamstown Gardens on Wednesday afternoon and complimented Mr W. Crowe, the Curator, on the uniformity and size of his avenue of palms. The men were inspecting the garden as they were looking for a suitable tree to create an Avenue of Honour on the Back Beach at Williamstown and Port Melbourne proposed to plant trees on the foreshore. (3)
The Washington Palms replaced New Zealand Cabbage Trees (Cordyline australis), which were possibly planted during the time of Samuel Thake's appointment as curator. He commenced in May 1899 was responsible for many changes in the gardens including an ornamental pond, a new curator's cottage, erection of new gates and a drinking fountain. After Samuel left in September 1912 (taking up a similar role at the Albert Park Trust) his assistant William Crowe took over and planted the Washington Palms. William Crowe remained as Curator until his death in January 1938. (4)
The Avenue planted with the New Zealand Cabbage Trees, c. 1905.
The Botanic Gardens, Williamstown. State Library of Victoria image H87.206/172
The statue, we can see at the end of the Avenue (above) is of Alfred Thomas Clark (1844-1888), local member from 1871 to 1887. The statue was unveiled July 18, 1891. The Williamstown Chronicle reported -
On Saturday afternoon fully 300 persons assembled in the local Botanical Gardens to witness the unveiling ceremony of the monument 'erected by public' subscription to perpetuate the memory of Hon. A. T. Clark, who for sixteen years ably discharged the office of Parliamentary representative for Williamstown, and in the earlier days Footscray also. The monument is of Cararra marble, sculptured by Enrico Lucchinelli from a photograph, and is a wonderfully faithful likeness. It stands 22 feet 6 inches in height, the figure being life size upon a pedestal handsomely carved. (5)
The Palm Avenue, Williamstown.
Postcard from my collection
The Palm Avenue, possibly 1930s.
Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. Postcard from my collection
Williamstown's Palm Avenue
The caption reads - This delightful vista, which might have been taken in some such tropical city as Rio de Janeiro, was photographed yesterday in Williamstown gardens. The gardens of Melbourne are full of such gems of landscape gardening as this. In the background is the Thomas Clark monument, erected by his constituents in 1891.
The Age, March 29, 1934 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203834389
The Avenue of Palms on the right, c. 1930s/1940s
Photographer: Rose Stereograph Co. State Library of Victoria image H32492/3510
The Lily Pond, surrounded by Palms, 1930s.
Image: The History of Williamstown from settlement to a City 1834-1934 by William H. Elsum.
First published in 1934 by the Williamstown Council; this is from the 1985 facsimile edition published by the Williamstown Historical Society.
The 2018 Williamstown Botanic Gardens masterplan report notes that - A major renovation of the Gardens took place in the late 1980s as part of the bicentennial project including the replacement of the Thread Palm Avenue (which had previously been removed in the 1960s) with the current Cotton Palms which dominate the site. (6)
Main References
- Williamstown Botanic Gardens Masterplan: Volume 2 - Background report May 2018 by Laidlaw & Laidlaw Design for the Hobsons Bay Council and the Williamstown Botanic Gardens. Access report here - https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/Parks-and-reserves/Williamstown-Botanic-Gardens
- Friends of Williamstown Botanic Gardens website - http://www.friendsofwilliamstownbotanicgardens.net/ Information about the Palm Avenue is under Features.
Footnotes
(1) Edward La Trobe Bateman, Australian Dictionary of Biography entry https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bateman-edward-la-trobe-2951
(2) Williamstown Botanic Gardens Masterplan: Volume 2 - Background report May 2018, op. cit. and Friends of Williamstown Botanic Gardens website
(3) Williamstown Advertiser, June 1, 1918, see here.
(4) Friends of Williamstown Botanic Gardens website. The information about Mr Thake and Mr Crowe is from Williamstown Botanic Gardens Masterplan: Volume 2 - Background report May 2018, op. cit.
(5) Williamstown Chronicle, July 25, 1890, see here.
(6)Williamstown Botanic Gardens Masterplan: Volume 2 - Background report May 2018, op. cit. As a matter of interest the Masterplan on page 13 and 14 of this report noted that the Palms in the Avenue are Washingtonia robusta.
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