La Trobe Park

Linking the National Capital with Victoria

• Location
• Facilities
• History
• A Walter Burley Griffin influence
• Designed as a park for the people of Deakin
• A park of recreational and cultural interest
• Reference

Location

Surrounded by Melbourne Avenue, Stonehaven Crescent, Gawler Crescent and Bedford Street in Deakin.

This is a map of Inner South Canberra showing the location of La Trobe Park.

Facilities

Electric barbeque, picnic tables, drinking water, and a children's playground.

History

La Trobe Park is part of an area in South Canberra known since 1928 as open space. It takes its name from Charles Joseph La Trobe who played a significant role in the early history of Victoria. Today it is a popular park used mostly by the residents of the suburb of Deakin.

A Walter Burley Griffin influence

The origins of this park can be traced back to Walter Burley Griffin's 1918 plan for Canberra. Griffin planned an open space area called "Epacris Heights" on the lower slopes of Red Hill, terminating Melbourne Avenue, one of the ten avenues he intended to radiate from the centre of Capital Hill. The other state/territorial capital city avenues planned by Griffin were terminated similarly with a park or place named after the generic botanical name for a native plant from that particular state.

However in 1928 Griffin's naming was dropped. The open space was named instead La Trobe Park after Charles Joseph La Trobe (1802-1875), Superintendent of Port Phillip District and Lieutenant Governor of Victoria from 1839 to 1854.

Designed as a park for the people of Deakin

The park was developed progressively over many years as part of the evolution of the suburb of Deakin from the late 1950s onwards. At the eastern end of the park there is a Scout hall and at the western end a pre-school centre.

The intention has been to provide for a wide range of activities for all age groups. In the earlier years, young families were the main users. Vehicle access is restricted by log barriers, however on the Bedford Street side at the centre of the park a 15 car carpark has been constructed.

The landscape is predominantly indigenous evergreen in character. The original scattered mature eucalypts were supplemented with new plantings of several eucalypt species set in grass. There are occasional copses of Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) and river oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana).

A park of recreational and cultural interest

The park is popular for family picnics and informal sporting events. The links to the Griffin plan for Canberra adds to the cultural importance of the park, although this is not well recognised by the park's users.

Reference

Gray, J (1997) The Historical and Cultural Background of selected Urban Parks in Canberra - Volume 3.