What is Carlton Gardens?
Q: What is Carlton Gardens?
A: Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site in the suburb of Carlton, located very close to the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It covers an area of 26 hectares (64 acres) and includes the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum and Imax Cinema, tennis courts and an award winning children's playground.
Q: What type of trees can be found in Carlton Gardens?
A: The gardens contain a mix of European and Australian trees including deciduous trees such as English oaks, White Poplar, Plane trees, Elms, Conifers, Cedars, Turkey Oaks, Araucarias and evergreens such as Moreton Bay Figs combined with flower beds of flowers and shrubs.
Q: What type of wildlife can be found in Carlton Gardens?
A: Wildlife that can be spotted in the gardens include possums, ducks and ducklings in springtime; Tawny Frogmouths; Kookaburras; flying foxes; and other urban environment birds and bats.
Q: How many fountains are there at Carlton Gardens?
A: There are three important fountains at Carlton Gardens - the Exhibition Fountain designed for the 1880 Exhibition by sculptor Joseph Hochgurtel; the French Fountain; and the Westgarth Drinking Fountain.
Q: Why is it listed on a World Heritage Site?
A: The World Heritage listing says that Royal Exhibition Buildings and Carlton Gardens are "of historical architectural aesthetic social scientific (botanical) significance to the State of Victoria."
Q: What shape is it?
A: The site is a rectangle shape with grass areas sloping down to southwest & northeast from the exhibition building.
Q: Are there any rare plants present at this site?
A: Yes - there is a rare specimen of Acmena ingens which only five other specimens are known worldwide along with an uncommon Harpephyllum caffrum ,the largest recorded Taxodium distichum in Victoria ,outstanding specimens Chamaecyparis funebris & Ficus macrophylla south west from Royal exhibition building .
