Kings Park, Urban park in Perth, Australia
Kings Park covers 400.6 hectares on Mount Eliza, overlooking Perth Water and the central business district. Two-thirds of the grounds are conserved native bushland, with the rest made up of grassed parkland and the 17-hectare Western Australian Botanic Garden, opened in 1965. A circular ground mosaic near the entrance inlays the words "KINGS PARK" in dark capitals around a fan-and-wings emblem.
The land was reserved for public purposes in 1831, and 175 hectares were formally gazetted as a public park in 1872. It opened as Perth Park on 10 August 1895 and was renamed King's Park in 1901 for Edward VII; John Forrest planted the first tree, a Norfolk Island pine. The Cenotaph was unveiled on 24 November 1929, and the Court of Contemplation on 6 November 1955.
The Whadjuk Noongar knew Mount Eliza as Mooro Katta, Kaarta Gar-up and Kaarta Koomba, 'big hill', and used it for ceremonies, camps and hunting. Kennedy Spring (Goonininup) at the southern base supplied year-round water, including to Willem de Vlamingh's party on 11 January 1697. The State War Memorial's basin is inscribed 'LET SILENT CONTEMPLATION BE YOUR OFFERING'.
Kings Park is administered by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority; its administration building is where visitors can book guided walking tours and reserve facilities. The park lies on Mount Eliza above Perth Water, with May Drive running through it. The State War Memorial Precinct hosts the Anzac Day dawn service at 5:30 am on 25 April, attended by more than 40,000 people, and a Remembrance Day service at 11 am on 11 November.
The Western Australian Botanic Garden opened in 1965 and covers 17 hectares within the park, holding over 324 native plant varieties. The park also records 215 known indigenous fungi species and 80 bird species, and each September it hosts Australia's largest wildflower exhibition, the Kings Park Festival.
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