Albert Park, Victoria

Infobox Australian Place
name = Albert Park

---

caption = Albert Park foreshore, near Kerferd Road
state = vic
type = suburb
lga = City of Port Phillip
area = 3.2
city = Melbourne
est = 1860s
postcode = 3206
pop = 5,827 (2006)Census 2006 AUS | id = SSC21011 | name = Albert Park (State Suburb) | accessdate = 2007-09-29 | quick = on]
propval = $955,000 [ [http://www.domain.com.au/public/suburbprofile.aspx?suburb=Albert%20Park&postcode=3206 Albert Park] , accessed 20 March 2008]
fedgov = Melbourne Ports
stategov = Albert Park
near-nw = Port Melbourne
near-n = South Melbourne
near-ne = Melbourne
near-w = Port Melbourne
near-e = Melbourne
near-sw =
near-s = Middle Park
near-se = Middle Park
dist1 = 4 | location1 = Melbourne

Albert Park is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in the City of Port Phillip. At the 2006 Census, Albert Park had a population of 5827.

The suburb is characterised by wide streets, open air cafes and many parks.

Local landmarks

* Albert Park - the massive Albert Park Reserve, (formerly South Park in the 19th century until it was also renamed after Prince Albert) is nearby. It is a significant state park managed by Parks Victoria. It is also known as the site of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, home to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix each March; usually on the Labour Day weekend.
* Bridport Street - centre of affluent living [ [http://albertpark.melbourneaustralia.com.au/regions/suburb/ MelbourneAustralia.com.au suburb information] "Albert Park - Home of the Australian F1 Grand Prix" Accessed September 30, 2006.]
* Victoria Avenue - known for its cafes, delicatessens and boutiques
* Kerferd Road - Kerferd Road is a royal boulevard of elm trees with a giant reserve between flanked on either side by an unusual array of eclectic semi-detached Edwardian homes
* Kerferd Kiosk - an iconic Edwardian pavilion
* Kerferd Pier - terminates Kerferd Road and is a jetty out onto Port Phillip Bay. Many use it for fishing. Sharks have occasionally been found around the pier.
* Beaconsfield Parade - a main thoroughfare between St Kilda and Port Melbourne which runs along the Port Phillip Bay foreshore and is flanked by grand buildings and Victorian terrace homes
* Victoria Hotel - a grand hotel (formerly a Coffee Palace) built in 1887 on Beaconsfield Parade - now apartments and cafe bar.
* The Biltmore - a former Coffee Palace converted into apartments in the 1990s.
* Andrew's Hamburgers - known for their succulent, mouth-watering hamburgers, since 1957. Have also been featured in the Herald Sun on numerous occasions.
* St Vincent Gardens - the most important 'square' development in Victoria, if not Australia, based on similar models in London
* Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre - large swimming centre which hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games squash, swimming and diving events. MSAC has basketball and table tennis courts too.
* Bob Jane Stadium - Large stadium specially designed for football (soccer). As well as being the home of South Melbourne FC, the venue has also hosted games by the Socceroos [ [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/1996A.html Socceroo 1996 Matches ] ] , Young Socceroos, Australia's national women's team the Matildas, and home games and finals of South Melbourne Hellas in the NSL and Victorian Premier League competitions.

History

Indigenous Australians first inhabited the area that is now Albert Park around 40,000 years ago. The area was a series of swamps and lagoons.

The main park after which the suburb was named was declared a public park and named in 1864 to honour Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert. [Kennedy, B: "Australian Place Names", page 3. ABC Books, 2006]

Albert Park was used as a garbage dump, a military camp and for recreation before the artificial lake was built.

The suburb of Albert Park extends from the St Vincent Gardens to Beaconsfield Parade and Mills Street. It was settled residentially as an extension of Emerald Hill, South Melbourne.

In 1854 a land-subdivision survey was done from Park Street, South Melbourne, to the northern edge of the parkland (Albert Road). St. Vincent Gardens were laid out and the surrounding streets became the best address for successful citizens. Street names commemorated Trafalgar and Crimean War personalities. [ [http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/albertpk.html Monash University online gazetteer] Australian Places: Albert Park.]

[http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au Heritage Victoria] notes that Albert Park's St Vincent Gardens, Melbourne "is historically important as the premier 'square' development in Victoria based on similar models in London. It is significant as the largest development of its type in Victoria and for its unusual development as gardens rather than the more usual small park" and "was first laid out in 1854 or 55, probably by Andrew Clarke, the [http://www.land.vic.gov.au/land/lcnlc2.nsf/childdocs/-418EED712A81C5AE4A256A0A0015CDC1-4D90CA6920C647A04A256A50000D72DE-623521E6A8D0C6BE4A256A0A001E4B02-4B45779CBB6B7E224A2568B9000EE889?open Surveyor-General of Victoria] . The current layout is the work of Clement Hodgkinson, the noted surveyor, engineer and topographer, who adapted the design in 1857 to allow for its intersection by the St Kilda railway. The precinct, which in its original configuration extended from Park Street in the north to Bridport Street in the south, and from Howe Crescent in the east to Nelson Road and Cardigan Street in the west, was designed to emulate similar 'square' developments in London, although on a grander scale. The main streets were named after British naval heroes. The development of the special character of St Vincent Place has been characterised, since the first land sales in the 1860s, by a variety of housing stock which has included quality row and detached houses and by the gardens which, although they have been continuously developed, remain faithful to the initial landscape concept.""

St Vincent's is a garden of significant mature tree specimens registered with the National Trust and is locally significant for the social focus the gardens provide to the neighbourhood. Activities in the park range from relaxing walks, siestas to organised sports competition. The Lawn Bowls Club was established in 1873 and the Tennis Club established 1883 on the site of an earlier croquet ground."

Origin of the name

The suburb was named after Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's late husband), after his tragic early death in the mid 19th century.

Events

The suburb has been home to the Formula One Australian Grand Prix since 1996 and there have been protest's by the Save Albert Park group about the grand prix being in Albert park since 1995. In preparing the Reserve for the race many trees were cut down and replaced during landscaping, roads were improved and World War II facilities were demolished and funds injected for larger, more modern replacement facilities, most notably the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. Today, the lake circuit is popular with strollers, runners and cyclists. Dozens of small yachts sail around the lake on sunny days. In December 2006 Polo (with horses) returned to Albert Park reserve after an absence of 100 years. Albert Park is also home to Albert Park Football Club.

Famous former citizens

*Roy Cazaly - Australian rules football legend (birthplace).

Gallery

See also

* City of South Melbourne - the former local government area of which Albert Park was a part.

External links

* [http://www.albertparkyc.yachting.org.au/ Albert Park Yacht Club]
* [http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=38 Albert Park (The Park)]
* [http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/stvincent_gardens.html St Vincent Gardens]
* [http://www.albertparkps.vic.edu.au/ Albert Park Primary School]

Reference list

* Barnard, Jill and Keating, Jenny, "People's Playground: A History of the Albert Park", Chandos Publishing, 1996.
* Melway, 29th Edition, Ausway Publishing, 2001.