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58-586: Albert Park is a large public park in the City of Port Phillip , an inner suburban LGA of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia . Located 3 km (1.9 mi) south of the Melbourne central business district , the park encompasses 2.25 km (225 ha; 560 acres) of parkland around the 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long Albert Park Lake , a 0.49 km (49 ha; 120 acres) Y-shaped artificial lake used both for water sports and public recreation. The park

116-451: A 10-minute walk , provides multiple benefits. A park is an area of open space provided for recreational use, usually owned and maintained by a local government. Grass is typically kept short to discourage insect pests and to allow for the enjoyment of picnics and sporting activities. Trees are chosen for their beauty and to provide shade , with an increasing emphasis on reducing an urban heat island effect. Some early parks include

174-524: A noxious pest in Australia although easily the most popular freshwater game fish elsewhere in the Old World , are the most commonly found fish in the lake and is subject to control programs. A vegetation survey in 1992 found 117 species of plants, a mixture of native and exotic species. A native revegetation area in the south east corner of the park features a large ancient river red gum known as

232-458: A sprint round . Dick Johnson won the round in his Ford Sierra RS500 , in what was to be his final ever round victory. The event was not held in 1991 or 1992, but was reinstated to the calendar in 1993 , with the sprint format then continuing every year until 2004. By then, the ATCC was known as V8 Supercars . After not appearing on the calendar in 2004, from 2005 to 2007 , Phillip Island hosted

290-713: A citizen-science project that enables users and researchers to track their movements across the state. Locally rare native bird species that have been recorded in the park include little egret , laughing kookaburra , Australian shelduck , Cape Barren goose , great crested grebe , white-bellied sea eagle and whiskered tern , while little ravens , Australian magpies , long-billed corella , sulphur-crested cockatoo , willie wagtails and magpie-larks are common. Common lake birds include black swans and Pacific black ducks , Australasian grebe , Eurasian coots , Australasian swamphen , dusky moorhen and all four freshwater cormorant species. Feral mute swans were removed from

348-465: A grassy wetland habitat for nearly two hundred bird species, both resident and transient. A 1990 study recorded 31 bird species as breeding in the park with a total of 21 these indigenous species. Migratory species include the flame robin , white-throated needletail and sacred kingfisher . A population of highly resident Black Swans (Cygnus atratus) are a popular feature of the lake. The swans breed on Gunn Island, away from predators that can attack

406-642: A sporting reserve. In 1996 the Australian Grand Prix moved from the Adelaide Street Circuit to a reconstructed Albert Park Circuit, loosely following the 1950s configuration. This was met with much opposition, but the project went ahead and a host of sporting facilities were subsequently constructed and funding allocated to improve the parklands followed. Albert Park is enjoyed by approximately five million visitors annually. Vestiges of Albert Park's Aboriginal history still remain,

464-443: A trapezoid superblock bordered by (clockwise from north) Albert Road, Queens Road , Fitzroy Street and Canterbury Road, and surrounding suburbs include Albert Park , Middle Park and St. Kilda West to the west and southwest; St Kilda to the south; South Yarra , Prahran and Windsor to the east; and South Melbourne to the north. The public-funded Mac.Robertson Girls' High School , one of Australia's top selective schools ,

522-579: Is a motor racing circuit located near Ventnor , on Phillip Island , Victoria , Australia . The current circuit was first used in 1952. Along with The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia , the 4.448 km (2.764 mi) long island circuit is one of two race tracks in Australia to carry a FIM Category A track licence which allows for the highest level of motorcycle racing, MotoGP . Phillip Island also carries an FIA Grade 3 track licence. Motor racing on Phillip Island began in 1928 with

580-794: Is an important site for the sporting culture of Melbourne and Victoria , hosting multiple sports venues such as the Lakeside Stadium , the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and other indoor sports facilities, the Albert Park Yacht Club and Albert Sailing Club, the Albert Park Golf Course, a 4.7-kilometre (2.9 mi) walking track around the lake, numerous ovals , and the Albert Park Circuit motor racing track. It occupies

638-523: Is located to the northeastern corner of the park. Albert Park was originally part of the extensive Yarra River Delta, which involved vast areas of wetlands and sparse vegetation, interspersed with lagoons , some of which were quite large, including the lagoon from which Albert Park Lake was created. The area was occupied by localised tribes of Indigenous Australians , the Boonwurrung people, for around 40,000+ years prior to European settlement, and

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696-475: The Corroboree Tree , a heritage registered eucalypt of cultural significance as a pre-European gathering place. There are nine separate picnic areas, most with barbecues, shelters and toilets (4 of which are handicap accessible). There is a vast network of sealed and unsealed, shared pedestrian/bicycle paths, centred on a main route that circles the lake. There are several playgrounds of varying sizes,

754-598: The Grand Finale ; the final round of the V8 Supercars season. In each year, the event decided that year's champion, including in controversial circumstances in 2006 . From 2008 to 2011 , Phillip Island returned to hosting a 500 km race, this time known for sponsorship reasons as the L&;H 500 . The Phillip Island 500 replaced Sandown 's Sandown 500 as the annual V8 Supercar 500 km race, an event which

812-512: The La Alameda de Hércules , in Seville , a promenaded public mall, urban garden and park built in 1574, within the historic center of Seville. The Városliget ( City Park ) in the City of Pest , what is today Budapest, Hungary , was a city property when afforestation started in the middle of the 18th century, from the 1790s with the clear aim to create a public park. Between 1799 and 1805 it

870-711: The Nissan Motorsports International team with drivers Julian Bailey and Mark Blundell driving the Nissan R90C were able to lap the circuit in around 1:18 while a 3.0 Litre Mugen V8 powered Dome F3000 (which Crompton drove) was able record similar lap times. At the time the fastest Australian cars that raced at Phillip Island were the 3.8 Litre V6 powered Formula Holdens which were approximately 10 seconds per lap slower. In late October 2018 Mathew Radisich drove his 2011 ex- Conquest Racing IndyCar during testing at Phillip Island as

928-623: The Village of Yorkville Park in Toronto , which won an award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Parks are sometimes made out of oddly shaped areas of land, much like the vacant lots that often become city neighborhood parks. Linked parks may form a greenbelt . There is a form of an urban park in the UK (officially called a "recreation ground", but commonly called a "rec" by

986-642: The marbled gecko and eastern long-necked turtle , make their home in the park. The lake is home to some stocked freshwater fish species. The Department of Primary Industries released native golden perch for recreational fishing purposes, and the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) periodically introduces hatchery -raised rainbow trout as part of the Victoria State Government 's $ 35 million "Go Fishing Victoria" initiative. The European carp , deemed

1044-586: The Australian round of the series. Local riders Peter Goddard ( Yamaha FZR750) and Rob Phillis ( Kawasaki ZXR750) won the two races for what was Round 12 of the season, with Goddard having secured pole position. The World Superbike round continues to be held annually at Phillip Island to this day. In 1990 , the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) returned to the circuit for the first time since 1977 , this time as

1102-562: The Grand Prix. This includes Task Force 72 , Australia's only national model boat club. Public park Depending on size, budget, and land features, which varies considerably among individual parks, common features include playgrounds , gardens , hiking, running, fitness trails or paths, bridle paths , sports fields and courts, public restrooms, boat ramps, performance venues, or BBQ and picnic facilities. Park advocates claim that having parks near urban residents, including within

1160-602: The UK, with around 2.6 billion visits to parks each year. Many parks are of cultural and historical interest, with 300 registered by Historic England as of national importance. Most public parks have been provided and run by local authorities over the past hundred and seventy years, but these authorities have no statutory duty to fund or maintain these public parks. In 2016 the Heritage Lottery Fund 's State of UK Public Parks reported that "92 per cent of park managers report their maintenance budgets have reduced in

1218-522: The United States and the world, though cow grazing did not end until the 1830s. Around the country, the predecessors to urban parks in the United States were generally rural cemeteries . The cemeteries were intended as civic institutions designed for public use. Before the widespread development of public parks, the rural cemetery provided a place for the general public to enjoy outdoor recreation amidst art and sculpture previously available only for

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1276-842: The United States are Central Park in New York, Lincoln Park in Chicago, Mission Bay Park in San Diego. In the early 1900s, according to Cranz, U.S. cities built neighborhood parks with swimming pools, playgrounds and civic buildings, with the intention of Americanizing the immigrant residents. In the 1950s, when money became available after World War II , new parks continued to focus on both outdoor and indoor recreation with services, such as sports leagues using their ball fields and gymnasia. These smaller parks were built in residential neighborhoods, and tried to serve all residents with programs for seniors, adults, teens and children. Green space

1334-484: The circuit required significant maintenance and slowly declined through the 1970s. It was farmed by its owners while closed and was then sold in 1985 in preparation for reopening, but did not do so until 1988 after agreement on a long-term lease and rebuild agreement. During the time the circuit deteriorated and finally closed, part of the main problem for its owners was that the Phillip Island Bridge from

1392-496: The confines of a serpentine carriageway, put in place the essential elements of his much-imitated design for Birkenhead Park in Birkenhead . The latter commenced in 1843 with the help of public finance and deployed the ideas which Paxton had pioneered at Princes Park on a more expansive scale. Frederick Law Olmsted visited Birkenhead Park in 1850 and praised its qualities. Indeed, Paxton is widely credited as having been one of

1450-453: The designed landscape as a setting for the suburban domicile (an idea pioneered by John Nash at Regent's Park in London) and re-fashioned it for the provincial town in a most original way. Nash's remodelling of St James's Park from 1827 and the sequence of processional routes he created to link The Mall with Regent's Park completely transformed the appearance of London's West End . With

1508-449: The eggs on the mainland. In efforts to study this population of swans, The University of Melbourne has a long-standing project surveying these swans. Swans are periodically captured, measured, tagged, and released. The neck collars are not harmful to the birds and these swans can be identified from the shore by their black and white neck tags. Sightings of these swans at Albert Park Lake and across Victoria can be reported to myswan.org.au ,

1566-499: The establishment of Princes Park in 1842, Joseph Paxton did something similar for the benefit of a provincial town, albeit one of international stature by virtue of its flourishing mercantile sector. Liverpool had a burgeoning presence in global maritime trade before 1800, and during the Victorian era its wealth rivalled that of London itself. The form and layout of Paxton's ornamental grounds, structured about an informal lake within

1624-464: The final motorcycle race meeting was conducted on 30 January 1940. Significant events staged at the Phillip Island road circuit included: In 1951, a group of six local businessmen decided to build a new track. About 2 km (1.2 mi) away from the original circuit, it still bears the corner name signs of the original circuit. As the piece of available land was on the edge of the coast,

1682-779: The form of walking, running, horse riding, mountain biking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing; or sedentary activity such as observing nature, bird watching, painting, photography, or picnicking. Limiting park or open space use to passive recreation over all or a portion of the park's area eliminates or reduces the burden of managing active recreation facilities and developed infrastructure. Many ski resorts combine active recreation facilities (ski lifts, gondolas, terrain parks, downhill runs, and lodges) with passive recreation facilities (cross-country ski trails). Many smaller neighborhood parks are receiving increased attention and valuation as significant community assets and places of refuge in heavily populated urban areas. Neighborhood groups around

1740-439: The island to the Australian mainland reportedly could not carry the heavy vehicles needed to resurface the circuit. This meant that the bitumen surface was a cold mix which easily broke up under the rigours of racing, instead of the standard hot mix which would have allowed a more durable surface. It would not be until the mid-1980s that the bridge would be rebuilt allowing the necessary equipment needed for resurfacing. The circuit

1798-476: The lagoons was excavated and used as infill around the lagoon itself to create a permanent lake. In 1890, water was diverted from the Yarra River to help fill the lake. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the park was used as a tip, a camp for the armed services, scenic drives, picnics, and many other forms of recreation. In 1882, 1918 and 1935, adjoining educational institutions acquired land from

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1856-525: The large amount of open space and natural habitat in the former pleasure grounds, they now serve as important wildlife refuges, and often provide the only opportunity for urban residents to hike or picnic in a semi-wild area. However, city managers or politicians can target these parks as sources of free land for other uses. Partly for this reason, some of these large parks have "friends of X park" advisory boards that help protect and maintain their semi-wild nature. There are around estimated 27,000 public parks in

1914-555: The most noticeable being the large ancient river red gum tree, reputed to be the site of many corroborees . It is thought to be over 300 years old, the oldest remnant tree in the Port Phillip area, located next to Junction Oval on the corner of Fitzroy Street and Queens Road, St Kilda. The Clarendon Street gates were originally built of wooden pickets in 1910, they were cast in wrought iron in 1939 and can still be seen today. The parkland, Albert Park Lake and Gunn Island provides

1972-567: The need to provide substantial space to congregate, typically involves intensive management, maintenance, and high costs. Passive recreation, also called "low-intensity recreation" is that which emphasizes the open-space aspect of a park and allows for the preservation of natural habitat. It usually involves a low level of development, such as rustic picnic areas, benches, and trails. Passive recreation typically requires little management and can be provided at very low costs. Some open space managers provide nothing other than trails for physical activity in

2030-535: The oldest continuing yacht club in Victoria, runs sailing classes over winter months on Albert Park lake and also has competitive sailing on Saturdays. Albert Park is home to a 5 km parkrun event. Albert Melbourne parkrun starts at 8am every Saturday from the Coot Picnic area. Albert Park is used a by a number of radio control model boat clubs throughout the year, except when access is unavailable due to

2088-617: The park also hosts many large sporting facilities, including: The Australian Grand Prix is held around the Albert Park Circuit around the lake. In 2020 and 2021 the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Every May the RSPCA holds the Million Paws Walk to raise needed income for their work with animals. The Albert Sailing Club holds regular regattas on Saturdays. The Albert Park Yacht club, established in 1871 and

2146-476: The park between the 1980s and 1990s. Feral common mynas and common starling are also numerous in the park. Native mammals include common brushtail possums , common ringtail possums and water rat . Common bent-wing bat , white-striped free-tailed bat and Gould's wattled bat have also been recorded in the park. Feral black rats are also common in the park. Foxes have also been spotted on occasion at night. Several reptiles and amphibians , such as

2204-404: The park was built was purchased by Richard Vaughan Yates, an iron merchant and philanthropist, in 1841 for £50,000. The creation of Princes Park showed great foresight and introduced a number of highly influential ideas. First and foremost was the provision of open space for the benefit of townspeople and local residents within an area that was being rapidly built up. Secondly it took the concept of

2262-413: The park was home to over 100 sporting clubs, general park maintenance was neglected by an over-restrictive management and funding became hard to come by, finances of any significance only being collected from the two restaurants in the park. During the early 1990s, the lake was drained to remove weed infestations, rubbish and other debris that had accumulated over the years, and the park was reclassified as

2320-581: The park, to much opposition at the time. From 1941 to 1950, the Army occupied large areas of land in the park: this land was given back to the park during the 1950s and 1960s. From 1953 to 1958, motor racing was held within the park , including the 1953 and 1956 Australian Grands Prix , around the lake, until it was moved to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit . Through much of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, although by this time

2378-420: The past three years and 95 per cent expect their funding will continue to reduce". Parks can be divided into active and passive recreation areas. Active recreation is that which has an urban character and requires intensive development. It often involves cooperative or team activity, including playgrounds , ball fields, swimming pools, gymnasiums, and skateparks . Active recreation such as team sports, due to

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2436-457: The principal influences on Olmsted and Calvert's design for New York's Central Park of 1857. Another early public park, the Peel Park, Salford , England, opened on 22 August 1846. Boston Common was purchased for public use grazing cows and as a military parade ground and dump in 1634. It first started to get recreational elements in 1728, arguably making it the first municipal park in

2494-461: The public.) and some EU states that have mostly recreation grounds for kids to play within a park, but may also have a duck pond, large grassy zones not meant exclusively for sports, many trees, and several bushy places. When it occurs as a separate facility on its own, without any parkland, at a street corner or by a shop, the play facility is called a playground . Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

2552-427: The running of the 100 Miles Road Race , an event which has since become known as the first Australian Grand Prix . It utilised a high speed rectangle of local closed-off public roads with four similar right hand corners. The course length varied, with the car course approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) per lap, compared to the motorcycle circuit which was approximately 10 mi (16 km) in length. The circuit

2610-404: The track is known for its steep grades – the highest 57 metres – which caused cost overruns and delays in track opening. The new track was opened in 1952 and in 1960 the first Armstrong 500 production car race was held at the circuit. Extensive damage resulted from the running of the 1962 Armstrong 500 , and, with the circuit owners unable to finance repairs, the circuit was closed and the race

2668-490: The wealthy. In The Politics of Park Design: A History of Urban Parks in America, (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1982), Professor Galen Cranz identifies four phases of park design in the U.S. In the late 19th century, city governments purchased large tracts of land on the outskirts of cities to form "pleasure grounds": semi-open, charmingly landscaped areas whose primary purpose was to allow city residents, especially

2726-488: The workers, to relax in nature. As time passed and the urban area grew around the parks, land in these parks was used for other purposes, such as zoos, golf courses and museums. These parks continue to draw visitors from around the region and are considered regional parks , because they require a higher level of management than smaller local parks. According to the Trust for Public Land , the three most visited municipal parks in

2784-531: The world are joining together to support local parks that have suffered from urban decay and government neglect. A linear park is a park that has a much greater length than width. A typical example of a linear park is a section of a former railway that has been converted into a park called a rail trail or greenway (i.e. the tracks removed, vegetation allowed to grow back). Some examples of linear parks in North America include New York's High Line and

2842-505: Was later reinstated for 2012 . Since then, Phillip Island has returned to hosting a sprint round of the championship, which has become known as the Phillip Island Super Sprint . The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix has always been more of a promoter event than a profit-raiser in itself. The contract was prolonged until 2026, although tobacco advertising has been banned since 2007. In the early 1990s, Phillip Island

2900-902: Was moved to the Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst in New South Wales , to eventually become known as the Bathurst 1000 . The circuit reopened in October 1967 and hosted the Phillip Island 500 endurance race, a round of the Australian Manufacturers' Championship , from 1971 to 1977. The race was also a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1976 and 1977. But again, due to its testing terrain,

2958-530: Was of secondary importance. As urban land prices climbed, new urban parks in the 1960s and after have been mainly pocket parks . One example of a pocket park is Chess Park in Glendale, California. The American Society of Landscape Architects gave this park a General Design Award of Honor in 2006. These small parks provide greenery, a place to sit outdoors, and often a playground for children. All four types of park continue to exist in urban areas. Because of

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3016-517: Was officially proclaimed a public park and named Albert Park in honour of Queen Victoria 's consort, Prince Albert . By 1875, areas of the park along Queens Road and in St. Kilda, had been sold off for housing and other uses, reducing the park from 385 to 231 hectares (950 to 570 acres). Through much of the late 19th century, allotments were allocated for sporting facilities such as football, tennis, bowling, cricket and boating. Between 1873 and 1880, silt in

3074-407: Was one of many sites around Melbourne where regular corroborees (meetings) were held. Following British settlement from 1835 onwards, much of the Yarra River delta was drained to dry the land and enable agriculture, housing and grazing. Through the 1840s and 1850s, the area now occupied by Albert Park itself was unofficial parkland, used for military training, grazing and hunting. In 1864 the area

3132-762: Was refurbished with a reduced length of 4.448 km (2.764 mi) and was reopened on 4 December 1988 for the final round of the 1988 Swann Insurance International Series for motorcycles. In 1989, the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix joined the FIM Road Racing World Championship calendar for the first time, and was held at Phillip Island. The 1989 race saw a race long dice in the 500 cc division between local favourites Wayne Gardner and Kevin Magee , along with Wayne Rainey and Christian Sarron . The race

3190-547: Was rented out to the Batthyány family to carry out such a project but the city had eventually taken back control and in 1813 announced a design competition to finally finish the park; works started in 1816. An early purpose-built public park, although financed privately, was Princes Park in the Liverpool suburb of Toxteth . This was laid out to the designs of Joseph Paxton from 1842 and opened in 1843. The land on which

3248-657: Was the venue for the Australian Grand Prix through to 1935 and it was used for the last time on 6 May 1935 for the Jubilee Day Races. A new 3.312 mi (5.330 km) triangular circuit utilising the pit straight from the original rectangular course was subsequently mapped out and first used for the Australian Race Drivers' Cup on 5 November 1935. The final car event on the circuit was held on Cup Day (1 November) 1938 and

3306-526: Was used during the Australian summer for pre-season testing by various World Sportscar Championship teams and some Japanese Formula 3000 teams (who generally found travelling to Australia was actually cheaper than paying some $ 5,000 per hour to hire the Honda owned Suzuka Circuit in Japan). While no official lap times were published, television commentator and race driver Neil Crompton reported in 1990 that

3364-570: Was won by 1987 World Champion Gardner to the delight of the huge crowd. Gardner would make it two in a row at the Island in 1990 before the race moved to Eastern Creek in Sydney for 1991 . The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix would remain at Eastern Creek until it returned permanently to Phillip Island from 1997 onwards. Phillip Island hosted its first Superbike World Championship round in 1990 , taking over from Sydney's Oran Park Raceway as

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