r:
Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria's cultural history.
Potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of Victoria's cultural history.
Importance in exhibiting particular aesthetic characteristics.
Why is it significant?
Fawkner Park is significant at the State level for the following reasons:
Fawkner Park is historically significant as part of the vision of Charles La Trobe (Superintendent of the Port Phillip District and later Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria) from the mid-1840s, to develop Melbourne as a city surrounded by extensive public parklands. Fawkner Park was permanently reserved in 1862 and became one of Melbourne's 'outer ring' parks, along with Yarra Park (VHR H2251) and Royal Park (VHR H2337). Formally developed from 1875 by curator Nicholas Bickford, Fawkner Park is a fine example of an 'outer ring' park. While the 'inner ring' of parks reflect more formal planting and symmetrical pathway arrangements, the 'outer ring' of parks and reserves were typically developed for recreation and organised sporting activity. Fawkner Park largely retains its early form, diagonal pathway plantings (established on the 'desire lines' of early pedestrians), impressive avenues, plantings, lawns and playing fields in conjunction with pavilion, caretakers and amenities buildings. Fawkner Park is also of historical significance for its use as an accommodation base for the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) and as a camp for British migrants between 1947 and 1955. [Criterion A]
Fawkner Park is archaeologically significant at the State level for its high likelihood to contain subsurface artefacts and deposits related to the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) and the Australian Corps of Signals Land Headquarters, located in the southern portion of the park from 1941 to 1947. There is a high potential for Fawkner Park to contain physical evidence relating to the mobilisation of women in the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) during WWII and the experiences of post-WWII British migrants in Victoria's transit camps, that is not currently visible or understood. The knowledge that might be obtained through archaeological investigation of Fawkner Park is likely to meaningfully contribute to an understanding of Victoria's cultural history. The particular information likely to be yielded from the archaeology of the place is not already well documented nor readily available from other sources. [Criterion C].
Fawkner Park is aesthetically significant as an outstanding example of a metropolitan park in Victoria. It is particularly notable for fine, mature avenues of English and Dutch Elm, White Poplar, English Oak and Moreton Bay Fig that criss-cross the site, forming over-arching canopies above the pathway system, that afford enclosed, focused views of considerable visual appeal. Other aesthetically impressive plantings include individual specimen trees and stands of Canary Island Pine, Pin Oaks, Hoop Pine, Bunya Bunya Pine, Lemon-scented Gum, Sugar Gum, Lilly Pilly, Monterey Pine and Stone Pine. The number of avenues within the park and individual scale of many of the original row plantings is incomparable to any of Melbourne's 'inner ring' or 'outer ring' parks established in the nineteenth century. The treed avenues have matured to form the dominant landscape component of the site, providing over-arching, umbrageous walks counterpointed with expanses of lawn between the avenue alignments. [Criterion E]
Fawkner Park is also significant for the following reasons, but not at the State level:
Fawkner Park is of historical significance because it was named after John Pascoe Fawkner, one of Victoria's earliest settlers and a co-founder of Melbourne.