There’s certainly no shortage of beautiful parks and green spaces in Melbourne, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get excited when another one springs up. (Re)introducing South Yarra Siding Reserve – a former sloping area of grass that has been transformed into a beautiful new inner-city park.
It originally closed in 2018 as works commenced on the Metro Tunnel’s eastern entrance and a brand new underground railway substation (the first of its kind in Victoria).
The neighbourhood park now boasts more than 2,400 square metres of lawn, new pedestrian and bike paths, better lighting, improved accessibility and picnic areas. More than 160 trees have also been planted at the reserve and the nearby pocket parks on Arthur Street and William Street.
In another win for the local community, South Yarra Siding Reserve is now home to two First Nations artworks, by Barkindji man Kent Morris and Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Kim Wandin, with collaborating artist Christine Joy. They are part of the Legacy Artwork Program, which has already seen incredible public works by some of Australia’s leading creatives installed across the new Metro Tunnel stations.
‘Where We Walk’ by Kent Morris is a sculptural piece inspired by the flaked stone artefacts that were unearthed at the site, and is a cultural marker of knowledge, connection and respect. Aunty Kim Wandin’s ‘Murrup Biik’ (‘spirit country’), is a series of three brightly coloured sculptures that represent ‘Bilangs’, which are string bags in the Woi Wurrung language. The works honour the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung women who would journey across Country collecting food to provide for their families.
The park is now open to the public, so if you’re keen for a chilly winter stroll through South Yarra, you know where to head.
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