24 walkers gathered in North Carlton for the Royal Park Urban Walk, including 5 new walkers. We set off along the north side of the Melbourne General Cemetery, through Princes Park beside Icon Park and then along between the Melbourne Zoo and Royal Park Golf Course. We passed woody meadows replanted with local indigenous plants, crossed the railway and tram tracks at Royal Park Station, then walked between the railway line and the rear of the Parkville hospitals towards the wetlands – Trin Warren Tam-Boore.
Although birds were few, we saw several waterbirds on the ponds. After picking up another new walker, who joined us for a short period, we walked through to the freeway sound barrier, behind the second wetland. We found very colourful street art on the back of the huge concrete barriers. We discovered that Barry had designed the sound barriers, and he gave us an impromptu and fascinating presentation about the history of the concrete slab barriers, the big yellow cheese sticks and the orange zippers that form “The Gateway to Melbourne”.
After a walk through the small patch of replanted native grasses, we ate morning tea on the edge of the Ross Straw Playing Field. Along Manningham Street and past some houses bordering the park, we entered a patch of remnant native bushland and followed a narrow dirt track uphill, through original vegetation to a lovely view to the west across the freeway, Gateway to Melbourne and the freeway Sound Tube.
The steps and retaining wall of the Royal Park Urban Camp provided a sheltered lunch spot. The camp was used during WW2 for soldier training and headquarters for American soldiers and now provides a base for country students coming to Melbourne for school camps.
After lunch we walked across the playing fields, crossing Elliott Avenue and proceeding around the open and original grassland that forms the centre of Royal Park, exiting on to College Crescent near the duck pond. At the Melbourne General Cemetery, walkers explored the Prime Minister’s Memorial Garden before finishing the walk a little early due to rain threatening, with afternoon tea at Robyn’s house. Thanks to Fleur, Meg, Elsbeth and Robyn for their afternoon tea contributions.
