Williamstown Botanical Gardens vintage

The Williamstown Botanical Gardens Vintage artwork by Kerrie Gottliebsen celebrates the majestic gardens by the seaside in Willy.

I’ve had some blissful times at the Williamstown Botanical Gardens including a Christmas lunch, my son’s pre-deb celebrations and burying my daughter in leaves. This artwork captures the beautiful view down to the bay through palm avenue. The artwork comes in A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0.

Williamstown Botanical Gardens history

In March 1856, following a petition by Williamstown residents, a 10  acre site was formally set aside for a public park and pleasure ground.

The gardens were designed by Edward La Trobe Bateman, who also designed the Carlton Gardens adjacent to the Exhibition Buildings. By 1859 the gardens had been set out, beds had been trenched and plantings had begun.
Donations of plants, seed and cuttings came from Ferdinand von Mueller, a director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, and Daniel Bunce, first curator of the Geelong Botanic Gardens.
As the site was exposed to coastal winds, shelter plantings of wattles and other fast-growing species were first established to protect the rare and vulnerable plants that were then introduced.

The gardens were formally opened on the 2nd January 1860. Mr S. Thake  was appointed as curator in 1889 and made major changes including:
Relocating the main entrance from Osborne Street to its current position

• Installation of the iron entrance gates in 1907
• Construction of the ornamental lake in  1904.

Four 12 tonne cannons, which came from Fort Gellibrand, were added to the gardens and then relocated to The Strand during the 1970s. The remnants of a bandstand built in the 1930s can still be seen.

(Courtesy Hobsons Bay City Council website)

http://www.friendsofwilliamstownbotanicgardens.net/history.html