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Royal Botanic Gardens and La Trobe Cottage
A pleasant 10-15 minute walk from the center of the city, the Royal Botanic
Gardens have evolved over 150 years into one of Australia's premier gardens.
Highlights include the Ornamental Lake, the National Herbarium of Victoria, the
Old Melbourne Observatory, the Australian Rainforest Walk, the Water
Conservation Garden, extensive flowerbeds, plant specimens which were gathered
by the botanist Joseph Banks who traveled to Australia with Captain Cook,
shaded paths, extensive lawns, woodland areas, fern gullies, the Separation Tree
(a red gum where the people of Melbourne celebrated in 1850 when they heard that
Victoria was to be separated from New South Wales) and La Trobe Cottage which
was once the home of Charles La Trobe, the first Governor of Victoria. The
cottage was actually prefabricated and transported to Melbourne where it was
assembled in 1839. The gardens cover an area of 36 hectares and include over
12,000 specimens. They were established in 1846 and developed by Ferdinand von
Mueller.
Cook's Cottage
When Melbourne celebrated
its centenary in 1934 the cottage was moved, brick by brick, from Great Ayrton
in Yorkshire. It was shipped in 253 crates. It came complete with a cutting from
the ivy which had grown on the original building. Today the house is covered by
the ivy. Those thinking that it is the home of Captain Cook are mistaken.
It is
actually the house of his parents.
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