332. A Walk To Parliament - Yarra - MCG - East Melbourne - Fitzroy Gardens.

 U3A Hike No 332




Hike Report By Marianne Kennedy


This was a hike with a difference for the 17 participants. It was very ably lead by Geoff Howard.

After exiting Southern Cross Station we walked down Spencer Street and along the Yarra admiring the tall buildings and groups of kayakers making great use of the river.  

We continued along through Birrarung Marr and chose a lovely spot for morning tea. It was onwards then past the Federation Bells towards the MCG, stopping to watch the 'Melbourne Stars' women's cricketers practicing in the nets. We passed bronze statues of our sporting heroes then walked past Jolimont Station to East Melbourne. Here Geoff gave us an interesting tour around the streets familiar to him and pointed out some of Melbourne's most historic homes. Some of them had been the home of Peter Lalor, Norman Lindsay and Von Guerard, just to name a few.

We then walked into the Fitzroy Gardens for a brief tour which passed by the Conservatory, the Fairies Tree, a waterfall and lovely ponds where adult ducks swam peacefully around with their ducklings. We passed by Captain Cook's Cottage and enjoyed our picnic lunch nearby. 

Continuing through the Gardens to Parliament House, Geoff pointed out the different buildings and their purpose in the current time. After entering the main building, and going through security, Geoff gave us a very informative and interesting tour of the beautiful rooms and described the way in which they are utilised. The multi storey library was of particular interest and the architectural design was spectacular throughout all of the different rooms. The cafes and gardens were also very interesting. Geoff was very knowledgeable in every aspect of parliamentary procedures due to his time spent in office and was quite willing to share his personal experience. 

After our tour we were met and welcomed by Michaela Settle MLA Eureka and Juliana Addison member for Wendouree.

At 2pm we were seated in the gallery of the Legislative Assembly to experience question time.(Very interesting and entertaining!) After the conclusion we moved to the Legislative Council and listened to the speaker for a short time. 

Then, after am most enjoyable outing, we boarded a tram back to Southern Cross Station to catch the train home.

It was a fantastic day! An extremely well organised walk that was very interesting, informative and enjoyable on many levels. The walking was leisurely, the points of interest along the way were excellent, the company was lovely and the weather was perfect. 


Many thanks to Geoff for organising and leading the walk and sharing your expert knowledge each and every step of the way.


Photos By Andrew Parker
















































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