Batman Park, Urban park in Melbourne, Australia
Batman Park, officially renamed Gumbri Park, is an urban park along the northern bank of the Yarra River in Melbourne, sitting between Kings Bridge and Spencer Street. It covers a small area of lawn and trees with open paths running along the waterfront, offering direct views of the river and the city skyline.
The land was originally wetlands used by the Wurundjeri people, then transformed into port facilities and rail yards after European settlement. In the early 1980s, the City of Melbourne cleaned up the site and opened it as a public park; the section to the east later became known as Enterprize Park, named after a schooner that arrived here in 1835.
The park was long known as Batman Park but was officially renamed Gumbri Park in honor of Jessie Hunter, a Wurundjeri elder. The new name reflects the recognition of Aboriginal presence on this land before European settlement.
The park is easy to reach on foot from central Melbourne and is close to major tram, bus, and train connections. It is open every day with no entry fee, and the riverside paths work well for a short walk or a longer stop outdoors.
In the 1980s, the park was home to a large bright yellow sculpture called the Yellow Peril, made by artist Ron Robertson-Swann, which became the subject of a heated local debate. The work was moved to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in 2002, but the story of its time here is still remembered by many Melburnians.
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