St Kilda Botanical Gardens

St Kilda Botanical Gardens is a roughly 6-hectare park with ornamental water features, a subtropical rainforest conservatory, and multiple garden sections for different plant types. The site contains a rose garden with hundreds of varieties, an eco-centre, and recreational facilities including a playground.

The garden was founded in 1859 on a former gravel pit and landfill site, then opened to the public in 1861 after extensive redesign work. This transformation converted a degraded area into a valued green space for the growing community.

The garden displays Australian native plants alongside international species in distinct themed sections. Visitors can observe how different areas represent various plant communities, making the world's botanical diversity tangible and accessible.

The grounds are accessible via multiple gates along the surrounding streets, making entry convenient from various directions. Visitors should expect an open and easy-to-navigate layout with plenty of space for walking and resting at different spots.

A fountain on the grounds runs entirely on solar power and recycles water from the adjacent ornamental pond. This detail is often missed by visitors but demonstrates thoughtful environmental design at work in the space.